Bengaluru, Aug 15 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, on Saturday called upon Kannadigas to join hands with his government in driving Karnataka’s development, setting an ambitious target of transforming the state into a $3 trillion economy by 2047.
Addressing the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Manekshaw Parade Ground after hoisting the National Flag, Chief Minister Shivakumar said Karnataka’s progress was closely linked to India’s growth and announced a series of initiatives in Artificial Intelligence, agriculture, employment, infrastructure, water security and social welfare.
“The chariot of the state’s development cannot be pulled by just two hands. The hands of the entire Kannada community must join me. Come, let us pull the chariot of development together,” CM Shivakumar said.
CM Shivakumar said Karnataka’s per capita income had reached Rs 4.33 lakh and the state ranked second in GST and income-tax collections and the government aimed to take Karnataka’s economy to $3 trillion, or around Rs 320 lakh crore, by 2047 through investments in education, healthcare, agriculture, industry and infrastructure.
CM Shivakumar announced that Artificial Intelligence would be introduced in schools from Class 6, along with the ‘AI Akshara Abhiyana’ and ‘Coding Gurukula’ initiatives. A government-owned AI university would be established in Bengaluru, along with AI hubs across the state.
Under the ‘Chief Minister Employment Sankalpa’ scheme, the Shivakumar government has begun the process of filling 72,000 key vacancies in the government sector. Notifications for all vacancies will be issued within six months, CM Shivakumar said.
An ‘Udyoga Nidhi’ scheme will provide employers in backward districts an incentive of Rs 2,500 per month for every new job created, with a target of generating one lakh new jobs over the next two years.
The government will also launch the ‘Yuva Udyoga Sethu’ initiative for job seekers.
CM Shivakumar announced the ‘Chief Minister Raitha Chaitanya’ scheme to combine farmers’ traditional knowledge with modern technology where crop surveys will be carried out using drones and satellite imagery to provide real-time information.
Under the ‘Raitha Mitra’ programme, farmers owning three acres or less will receive a 50 per cent subsidy on rental charges for agricultural machinery.
He said 12.35 lakh farmers had received Rs 1,300 crore in compensation under the crop insurance scheme, while 25 lakh farmers had enrolled for crop insurance. Micro-irrigation had been expanded to two lakh hectares and 184 high-tech harvester hubs established.
CM Shivakumar said Karnataka had approved 945 investment proposals worth more than Rs 134 lakh crore over the past three years and attracted Rs 112 lakh crore in foreign direct investment during the last year.
An Advanced Manufacturing Cluster would be established in Doddaballapur, with investment commitments of Rs 20,000 crore and an expected one lakh jobs. Under ‘Beyond Bengaluru’, global technology centres would be established in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru, CM Shivakumar said.
CM Shivakumar announced a 117-km Bengaluru Business Corridor ring road project with an estimated cost of Rs 26,000 crore. Ring roads and mobility grids would also be developed in towns and cities across the state.
For Bengaluru, the government is planning five new police commissionerates, a special anti-rowdy squad and five large tree parks, and seven major lakes, including Hesaraghatta, Bettadakote, Hoskote, Yele Mallappa Shetty, Bannerghatta, Bagalur and Byramangala lakes, will be developed to improve groundwater recharge and water security, CM Shivakumar said.
Calling water security the government’s top priority, CM Shivakumar said 112 major water resource projects worth Rs 16,000 crore had been approved this year. The first phase of the Yettinahole drinking water project is nearing completion and water is expected to reach Tumakuru district by November.
He also announced the establishment of a Karnataka State Motor Vehicle Insurance Corporation to provide simpler insurance services to vehicle owners.
For rural students, the ‘Sahaya Hasta’ scheme will provide 7.5 per cent reservation within the existing 15 per cent rural quota for professional courses to students who studied from Classes 1 to 10 in rural government schools, CM Shivakumar said.
CM Shivakumar said social justice remained a key commitment of his government, with Rs 44,631 crore allocated for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and around Rs 4,000 crore for the Backward Classes Welfare Department in 2026-27.
He also highlighted the five guarantee schemes, saying they had strengthened social and economic security for families across the state.
Recalling the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, CM Shivakumar urged people to uphold the values of the freedom struggle.
“Victory to humanism,” he said, invoking the ideals of poet Kuvempu and the teachings of Basavanna on equality, dignity of labour and social welfare.
–IANS
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