‘Village stay expenses investment for future’

Raichur: Defending his “Grama Vastavya” (village stay) programme that has come in for criticism for the huge expenditure it involves, Chief Minister H.D.  Kumaraswamy on Wednesday claimed the facilities being created for his visits to the districts would remain and continue to benefit their people long after he was gone.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who was heading for Karegudda village as part of the “Grama Vaastavya” programme, said it was not aimed at merely interacting with the villagers , but all -round development of the districts. “Grama Vaastavya is only a part of it. My tour is aimed at all- round development of the district,” he told reporters in Raichur, before leaving for  Karegudda, where the authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the programme.

Referring to the criticism such preparation made at huge cost has invited, he said, “There are reports in a section of media that around Rs 2 crore will be spent on the Karegudda programme. A special toilet has been built (in the Karegudda village school building), but will I take it away with me? It  will come in use for the school children. Besides, the different departments have spent funds allotted to them under various heads. I have got nothing to do with the money they have spent. I want to know from (state BJP chief) Mr Yeddyurappa whether he spent his personal funds on the programmes  held during his tenure as Chief Minister?”

Moving on to more local issues, Mr Kumaraswamy said his government had given administrative approval for various projects worth Rs 3,000 crore for Raichur  and revealed that efforts were on to acquire land in the district for the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) that had been sanctioned for it by the Centre.