Belagavi: BJP MLA and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Wednesday asserted his significant role in the construction of the Congress District Office at RTO Circle during his tenure as a Congress MLA and district in-charge minister.
Jarkiholi expressed dissatisfaction with Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar for crediting Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar exclusively for the project. “Party MLAs also contributed, and it is incorrect to attribute the credit solely to Hebbalkar,” he stated. He commended his brother and Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi for raising objections to Shivakumar’s remarks during the Congress Legislature Party meeting.
Jarkiholi recounted his efforts between 2013 and 2018, including mobilizing funds and securing land for the project under a committee led by then Public Works Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa. He claimed to have convinced the previous land titleholders to withdraw their objections and facilitated payments of ₹57 lakh to the Belagavi City Corporation in two installments.
“Building construction accelerated when I became the district in-charge minister, during which I contributed ₹1.2 crore,” he said. He also emphasized that Satish Jarkiholi contributed significantly and now manages office expenses, making it unfair to recognize only Hebbalkar’s efforts.
Jarkiholi further accused Congress leaders of using funds for luxuries and vehicle purchases and called on district president Vinay Navagatti to disclose financial details. Despite his departure from Congress to join the BJP, Jarkiholi expressed no concern for current developments in the party.
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