After a decade-long push, Bagalkot’s residents are finally seeing progress in their demand for a government medical college. The state government has now initiated steps to identify land and prepare a detailed project report (DPR) through the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).
Efforts are on to reclaim 42 acres of land from Bagalkot Horticulture University in Navanagar sectors 1 and 13, which will house the proposed institution. In 2013, then CM Siddaramaiah had promised the college during his campaign and reiterated it in the 2014-15 budget, but no action followed for nearly a decade, leading to public protests.
In 2023, Siddaramaiah renewed his vow to start and complete the medical college during his current tenure. Though the project was absent from the following two budgets, rising political pressure from local leaders like MLA H.Y. Meti finally moved the issue forward.
Now, RGUHS has been tasked with creating the DPR, and the Medical Education Department has formally written to the university. Out of the ₹1,500 crore corpus allocated to RGUHS, ₹500 crore will go towards the Bagalkot college. The Krishna Bhagya Jal Niga Limited (KBJNL) has also stepped in to facilitate land transfer.
A special officer is expected to be appointed shortly to oversee the implementation and coordination of the project, signaling a major breakthrough for the district.
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