Bengaluru: There have been strong protests from the people of Raichur and MLAs of the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region led by Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil to consider Raichur for the setting up of IIT. In the wake protests, CM Siddaramaiah has now appealed to HRD minister Smriti Irani to reconsider the decision to locate the proposed IIT for the state at Dharwad and instead, consider Raichur for the same.
In a letter written to Irani, Siddaramaiah welcomed the move to sanction IIT to Karnataka but opined that it would have been appropriate if Raichur was chosen instead of Dharwad as the state government had shorlisted three locations-Raichur, Dharwad and Mysuru.
Raichur, which is part of the most backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region and enjoys a special status under Article 371(J) of the Constitution, should have been chosen, since this would have also helped in striking a balance in the development of the state, the letter said.
“I will be grateful if you kindly reconsider the decision taken on setting up of the IIT at Dharwad and instead, convey the approval of the Government of India for setting up the institute at Raichur,” the letter said. The CM promised to extend all necessary co-operations in establishing the institute at Raichur.
The Union government, after considering the opinion of an expert committee, had decided to set up the IIT at Dharwad. This had evoked widespread protests in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.
The people of Raichur district have been on agitation ever since the district lost the race to Dharwad.
A delegation comprising leaders from all political parties, including Congress group leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Basavaraja Patil Sedam, had met Irani and others and appealed to them to set up the institute at Raichur.
A high-level committee on regional imbalance too recommended to the Centre and the state that the IIT should be set up in Raichur.
