Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies and district-in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that there will not be any priority list in the government’s recommendation for setting up an Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka.
Speaking to presspersons after the Janata Darshan here on Friday, he said that he, along with leaders from other political parties from the district, was making efforts to get the IIT for Dharwad district and he had also made a request to the Chief Minister. Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao clarified that there would not be any bias in the recommendation as Raichur, Hubballi-Dharwad and Mysuru would be given equal priority.
“There will be nothing like no. 1 preference, no. 2 and no. 3. Although the Chief Minister belongs to Mysuru district, he has clarified he would not lobby for Mysuru. It will be left to the Centre to choose one among the three,” he said.
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Refuting the claim by BJP State unit president Pralhad Joshi that the Centre had allocated more funds to the State than previous years, the Minister said what Mr. Joshi was telling was “half truth”.
While the Union government had increased allocation under the 14th Finance Commission, it had reduced allocations under various heads, which meant that the State would ultimately get less funds. Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao said he was ready for an open debate on the issue with Mr. Joshi.
Pralhad Joshi’s claim on fund allocation only half truth, says Dinesh Gundu Rao