With tricolour flying all around, colourful processions making rounds through the major streets raising patriotic slogans and all government and private institutions and offices hositing national flags followed by the national anthem, Ballari city was in a festive mood to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of India’s Independence) on Monday.
Over 6,000 students took part in the centralised celebrations organised by the district administration at the District Stadium where Transport Minister and Ballari in-charge B. Sriramulu hoisted the national flag.
The Independence Day parade and the colourful cultural performances that spread the aroma of patriotism in the air and infused the spirit of working for nation-building among the audience stole the show at the district stadium.
In his Independence address he delivered after the unfurling of the national flag, Mr. Sriramulu went on to brief the development projects and the welfare programmes that the Union and the State governments had implemented.
“Action plans for ₹13,000 crore have been prepared to take up various development projects in the district which would be implemented by the Karnataka Mining Restoration Corporation. An advanced chilli market would come up on 23.25 acres at Aladahalli at a cost of ₹100 crore, Ballari Urban Development Authority would implement a housing project on 101.98 acres at a cost of ₹73.56 crores. Under the District Mineral Foundation funds, six action plans for ₹1,593.68 crore have been taken up and, of the 1506 works, 686 are completed. A new bridge across the Tungabhadra river near Kampli would be built at a cost of ₹79.93 crore. We have also planned to build 100-bed hospitals at Kampli and Kurugodu at a cost of ₹40 crore,” Mr. Sriramulu said.
The Minister added that the district administration had reserved 50-acre plot for the establishment of Textile Park in Ballari as announced in the last budget.
“The construction of Ballari Airport would also gather momentum as Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board has sanctioned ₹40 crore for the project. We have planned to take up a project for providing safe drinking water to 105 villages using District Mineral Foundation funds,” Mr. Sriramulu said.
In his address, he also briefly described the India’s freedom movement and the contribution of Ballari to it. Some dignitaries who had made significant contributions in different fields were felicitated on the occasion.
Legislators G. Somashekhar Reddy, B. Nagendra, Y.M. Satish, Ballari Mayor Rajeshwary, Ballari Urban Development Authority chairman Palanna, Deputy Commissioner Pavan Kumar Malapati, Superintendent of Police Saidulu Adavath, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat G. Lingamurthy, Additional Deputy Commissioner P.S. Manjunath, Assistant Commissioner Akash Shankar and others were present.
