The Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board (HKRDB) has come out with a plan to develop eight towns as model towns with all the infrastructure and recreational facilities for the inhabitants with well-developed parks and giving a facelift to important tourist destinations.
The HKRDB has proposed to name the project as “Nemmadi Uru” (Peaceful and contended town) and a sum of Rs. 35 crore has been allocated under the macro-projects for the development of eight towns including Sedam, Chitapur, and Jewargi in Kalaburagi, Shahpur in Yadgir, Yelburga in Koppal, Sindhanur in Raichur and Bhalki in Bidar.
According to Regional Commissioner and the secretary of the HKRDB, Aditya Amlan Biswas the main stress behind the development of the Nemmadi Uru would be to create better infrastructure facilities in small towns to enable the inhabitants to lead a comfortable life. The project is likely to be extended to other smaller towns in phases and cover the entire Hyderabad Karnataka region.
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Another innovative initiative by the HKRDB is to establish internet kiosks in all the libraries in the Gram Panchayats in the entire Hyderabad Karnataka region. These internet kiosks would be linked to digital library in Gulbarga and Hampi Kannada University which would allow “access to the books in these libraries to the people living in the remotest corner of the region, which would help them in their preparation for annual college examinations and competitive examinations”.
Mr. Biswas said that a sum of Rs. 8 crore has been earmarked for the purpose of establishing these internet kiosks and BSNL has been approached for concessional rate of internet connections for the internet kiosks. The HKRDB also proposed to provide competitive examination books and periodicals in all the gram panchayat libraries. Apart from this the HKRDB would also establish a regional Competitive Exam Study and Centre for Regional Studies in Gulbarga University at a cost of Rs. one crore and a printing press at Hampi Kannada University at a cost of Rs. one crore.
The HKRDB would also extend financial assistance for tele-education programmes in colleges and have exclusive Ganith Kalike Programme. Instead of providing funds for the construction of buildings to the Universities in the region, the HKRDB would henceforth provide funds to the University of Agriculture Science at Raichur and Horticultue University at Bagalkot to take up drought proofing through fodder development programmes. The Agriculture University would also be provided with funds for taking up the research and development activities in pulses, to come out with new pest-resistant varieties.
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HKRDB would also provide funds to revive publication of the District gazetteer of the districts coming under HKRDB with all updated data regularly. The HKRDB also proposes to take up soft-skill development programmes in Gulbarga University with the help of private entrepreneurs to improve employability of students in private sector and set up grooming schools.