Kumaraswamy hails Kannadigas' spirit for a united Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said the JD-S-Congress coalition government was committed to the development of the entire state, asserting that he has allocated more funds for all the regions than previous governments had done.

The Chief Minister hailed Kannadigas for their spirit of unity and strong will against attempts to divide the state.

"I have an emotional bonding with Belagavi (around 500km northwest of Bengaluru, bordering Maharashtra), where the state's first legislature session was held in 2006 during my previous tenure," he said in his address at the Sam Manekshaw Parade ground in Bangaluru on the occasion of the country's 72nd Independence Day.

"I salute the spirit of unity demonstrated by Kannadigas against the division of Karnataka. Their strong will has silenced the feeble voices of division of the state before they become louder," said Kumaraswamy.

Giving an assurance on addressing problems of the people living in Goa, Kasaragod in Kerala and Solapur in Maharashtra, Kumaraswamy said he would address them in talks with his counterparts from the three states.

"The state government aims to improve the human development index of all districts across the state. Besides basic infrastructure, amenities like education, health and social security for all are our priority," he said.

On the Rs 49,000-crore crop loan waiver to distressed farmers, the chief minister said an official order would soon be issued on it for loans raised from state-run banks, benefiting 20.4-lakh farmers across the state.

"The state government has already waived loan raised from cooperative banks. The new order will be issued to waive loans from the state-run banks," he noted. - IANS