Navalgund (Dharwad): There is no dearth of funds and each taluk will be granted Rs. 1 crore for drought management. I am aware that the state is facing drought for the second consecutive year, but we are with you and farmers should not lose hope, said Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar. Around 123 taluks have already been declared as drought-hit and 30 to 40 more will be added to the list. We will face the situation together, he added.

Jagadish Shettar was addressing a gathering after he inaugurated the 36th branch of KCC Bank Ltd and other works of Rs. 75 crore in Navalgund Assembly on Saturday. Referring to the BJP government's achievements, he further tried to fill confidence among farmers. He said that The BJP government tabled the agriculture budget, which is the first of its kind in the nation, and is now providing interest free loan to farmers.





Earlier Chief Minister reviewed the progress of concrete road works on Kusugal Road, near Oxford College in Hubli while proceeding towards Navalgund.

A stretch of the 1.6 km road with 30 metre width, connecting Gada road with Bijapur road, is being laid by the Hubli-Dharwad Urban Development Authority (HDUDA). Chairman of HDUDA Lingaraj Patil said that the work is being executed at an estimated cost of Rs. 8.7 crore which also includes the land acquisition process.



Two service roads will come up beside the road, he said and added that another concrete road work, connecting Sollapur road with Sull road, will be taken up at a cost of Rs.14.30 crore. These roads are expected to decongest vehicular traffic in city, he hoped.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar inaugurated a new court building at Kundgol, which was the long pending demand of people. The new building of the court build at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.3 crore. Shettar said that the government had released Rs. 301 crore for the construction of court buildings in the last four years of which 100 buildings are completed while construction work at 182 buildings are under progress. Shettar also clarified that funds were provided for the construction of a law university at Dharwad. He said the new court building will help cater to the need of people seeking early disposal of cases in the taluk, where over 560 cases are pending.