Kalyana Karnataka needs political will

Over the years, successive governments have announced various steps to address the historic neglect of North Karnataka, now renamed Kalyana Karnataka, but the region continues to rank low across various socio-economic criteria. Though the region has witnessed some progress, it is definitely not commensurate with the thousands of crores promised and spent for its development.

Recently, the state cabinet met at Kalaburagi, the fifth such special meeting in North Karnataka -- the first was held in 1981, when R Gundu Rao was Chief Minister – after a gap of 10 years.

The cabinet discussed 46 issues specific to the region and approved a package of more than Rs 11,000 crore for various developmental works. This includes a Rs 7,200-crore drinking water project and a Rs 800-crore outlay to strengthen health infrastructure.

The cabinet also discussed the issue of filling up 17,439 vacant posts in government in a phased manner. Such announcements, however, do not inspire much public confidence that things will change on the ground.

Kalyana Karnataka has for decades remained low on human development indices such as health, education, and standard of living. In 2002, the D M Nanjundappa Committee, which had submitted a report highlighting various disparities across 175 taluks, had called for targeted development initiatives.

The report used 35 socio-economic indicators to assess taluk-level imbalances. The committee proposed measures to develop backward taluks and districts through resource allocation and infrastructure development.

Though every government since has claimed to have implemented the Nanjundappa Committee report, North Karnataka continues to suffer from poverty, lack of industrialisation, poor agricultural output, low literacy, and malnutrition, among others. In 2013, the Union government granted special status to the region under Article 371(J) of the Constitution.

With time and changes in population dynamics, the specifics of the Nanjundappa Committee report have now become redundant, though the underlying problems remain and have grown bigger. The government has set up a new panel under economist M Govinda Rao to conduct a fresh study on backwardness and develop a comprehensive composite development index.

The fact that not much progress has been achieved in the 22 years since the Nanjundappa Committee report raises question as to how the Rs 31,000 crore invested in the region during this period was utilised. The government should release a white paper on it. This will not only ensure better transparency and accountability but will also help identify the gaps and issues that need to be addressed now.

North Karnataka’s development requires more than just more money. It demands a thorough understanding of the underlying causes for the region’s backwardness, the potential solutions, and the region’s future potential. It demands robust political will and sincerity, and a loosening of entrenched interests.