Hassan district has received about ₹250 crores, including ₹50 crores towards building a mega dairy, in the budget presented by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday.
The repeated mention of Hassan in the budget copy gave leaders in opposition parties enough reason to term it a budget limited to a few districts.
The Hassan Milk Union, headed by H.D. Revanna, Minister, Public Works, collects more than 8 lakh litres of milk a day. The daily collection is expected to go up to ₹15 lakh litres a day by 2020. Considering the increasing collection of milk, the union proposed the construction of a mega-dairy or an integrated dairy hub at a cost of ₹350 crore. The union had sent proposals to the Centre seeking funds. The State government encouraged the idea by earmarking ₹50 crores. Other announcements made in the budget with regard to Hassan include upgrading Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, filling up over 160 tanks of Shantigrama and Dudda hoblis at a cost of ₹70 crore, modernisation of the century-old Karnataka Implement Manufacturing Company at a cost of ₹10 crore, a ring road around Hassan at a cost of ₹30 crore and an institute to train tourist guides at Belur.
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Interestingly, the project to fill tanks from Hemavati reservoir is restricted to two hoblis – Shantigrama and Dudda of Hassan taluk, that fall in the limits of Holenarasipur constituency, represented by Mr. Revanna.
“For years, we have been demanding Hemavati water to the tanks located Hassan Kasaba hobli and Salagame hobli. Mr. Revanna has got funds sanctioned only for areas of his constituency,” said Navile Annappa, BJP leader.BJP district president H. Yoga Ramesh said, “The Hassan Milk Union is a private company of H.D. Revanna. He has got funds for his company. Most other projects were proposed keeping in mind the interest of contractors, not the public.”