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Hindustan Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka's 'Kalaburagi rotti' makes it to ‘Mann Ki Baat'; Priyank Kharge, officials react
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mention of Kalaburagi's Jolad Rotti in his latest 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address has sparked celebration and political commentary in Karnataka, particularly from Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, who hailed the recognition as a win for local women and government-backed entrepreneurship. The Jolad Rotti, a local staple made from jowar (sorghum), has grown into a popular regional brand through targeted initiatives. (X/@PriyankKharge) Taking to social media platform X, Kharge expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, writing, 'The success story of the Kalaburagi Rotti is a testament to how well-directed government schemes can foster entrepreneurship, skill development, and provide women access to markets.' (Also Read: 'Mangalore should be Bengaluru coastal': Outrage erupts over Karnataka's renaming spree, 'real-estate greed' slammed) Check out his post here: He went on to describe the millet-based flatbread's rise to fame as an example of the Congress government's 'Kaam ki Baat', a pointed response to BJP leaders who have previously accused Kharge of turning the region into the so-called 'Republic of Kalaburagi.' 'The PM, no less, has countered this narrative by highlighting Kalaburagi's success stories,' Kharge added, crediting the district administration for building a thriving market around the traditional dish. The Jolad Rotti, a local staple made from jowar (sorghum), has grown into a popular regional brand through targeted initiatives. The online marketplace built to promote Kalaburagi Rotti has created new income avenues for women-led self-help groups and rural entrepreneurs. Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner also weighed in, posting on X, 'Today, on 29.06.2025, during the 'Mann Ki Baat' program, Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji spoke about Kalaburagi's Jolad Rotti. This is a matter of pride for the district.' The slogan 'Kalaburagi Rotti, the power of millets' has since picked up online, with many celebrating the dish's journey from humble kitchens to national recognition. Samad Patel, Joint Director of Agriculture, Kalaburagi, highlighted the tangible impact of the initiative,'I am very happy that the PM spoke about Kalaburagi Roti. Around 1,000 women have found employment through 100 rotti-making machines we provided. Self-help groups are thriving, and women entrepreneurs are growing stronger.' (Also Read: Bengaluru forest officials bust poaching racket, seize 74 kg of deer and wild boar meat)
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Minister reaffirms Congress commitment to ensuring social justice
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister and Kalaburagi district in-charge Priyank Kharge has reaffirmed the Congress' commitment to delivering social and economic justice to the most marginalised in society. He was speaking at an event at the Poojya Basavarajappa Appa Memorial Hall where multiple civic initiatives were launched for the city's development and citizen welfare. At the event, the Minister symbolically distributed direct appointment orders to 935 civic workers, ending the contract labour system and making them permanent employees of the Kalaburagi City Corporation. Letters of appointment were also issued to newly recruited village administrative officers, while laptops were handed over to those concerned to assist them in digital governance at the village level — a first-of-its-kind initiative in the State. He also distributed sewing machines and motorised tricycles to persons with disabilities. 'This is a proud and happy moment. As promised, we are appointing you all directly as municipal employees. This has been made possible because of the Congress ideology and commitment,' Mr. Kharge said praising the civic workers for their crucial role in keeping the city clean despite many challenges. Mr. Kharge further announced that if a site is allotted by the City Corporation for housing, the State government will provide necessary funding for the construction of houses for civic workers and urged local MLAs and MPs to contribute funds for the purpose. 'A Kalaburagi city master plan has been prepared for the next 25 years in collaboration with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS). This plan has been drafted after consulting various civic organisations and stakeholders. Although the Union government denied Kalaburagi Smart City status, the State government is working to transform it into a well-planned and inclusive urban space within the next three years. As part of this blueprint, 23 major traffic circles will be redeveloped, 31 public parks upgraded and four lakes restored,' Mr. Kharge said. Mr. Kharge also announced the establishment of Nagavi Institute of Competitive Exams (NICE)training centre at Vajpayee Layout. It is scheduled to open in the last week of July, initially offering free coaching to 500 aspirants preparing for IAS, KAS and other competitive exams, with plans to expand to 2,000 students in the future, he added. Taking aim at BJP leaders, Mr. Kharge said that they came to Kalaburagi just to criticise him, not to talk about development. 'Instead of engaging in constructive dialogue, they resort to personal attacks,' he claimed. MLC Tippannappa Kamakanur urged the Minister to allocate funds for the construction of housing for civic workers and also requested Lok Sabha member Radhakrishna Doddamani to raise the issue of including Kabbaliga community in the Scheduled Tribes list in Parliament. Kalaburagi Mayor Yallappa Naikodi, Mr. Doddamani, MLAs Allamprabhu Patil, Kaneez Fathima, KUDA chairman Mazhar Alam Khan, Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Tarannum, Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena and Municipal Commissioner Avinash Shinde and others were present.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DSS takes out procession in protest against BJP MLCs in Yadgir
Dalit Sangharsh Samiti activists took out a procession from the District Stadium to the Deputy Commissioner's office in Yadgir on Tuesday and urged the Governor to dismiss MLCs Chalavadi Narayanaswany and N. Ravikumar from the Legislative Council for making derogatory remarks against Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge. The protesters said that both Mr. Narayanaswamy and Mr. Ravikumar have no tolerance for the political progress of Dalit leaders like Mr. Kharge and have been repeatedly making derogatory remarks and even personal attacks by using unparliamentary words at the behest of the RSS and BJP. 'The Governor should take immediate action and dismiss them both from the Legislative Council to uphold the dignity of the House,' they urged. The protesters, later, submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor to the local authorities.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
State govt. has neither shirked responsibility nor is defending stampede: Priyank Kharge
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Priyank Kharge clarified that the State government has neither shirked responsibility nor is defending the stampede that occurred during the RCB victory celebrations at Bengaluru on Wednesday evening (June 4, 2025) in which 11 people died. 'We are all pained by the deaths of youths, and the tragic incident is not a matter of pride for any government,' he grieved. Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday Mr. Kharge reiterated that he was not defending the stampede incident and claimed that there were lapses in planning on the part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)-the cricket team of IPL, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI). If there was any faults on the government's part, the investigation will unearth the truth, he added. He explained that, citing security concerns the State government had denied permission for the victory parade, and the BJP leaders objected to this decision and tweeted against it-which they later deleted. He urged BJP not stoop so low to politicise the tragic incident. 'The State government has expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and announced compensation, meanwhile a judicial magistrate inquiry is underway and even the police officials have been suspended,' Mr. Kharge added. Responding sharply to BJP's demand for the resignation of the Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Mr. Kharge stated that similar standards must apply to all incidents and he questioned whether anyone had demanded the resignation of the Union Home Minister or the External Affairs Minister over the recent Pahalgam terror attack incident. Crop Insurance The Minister said that the State government had released a crop insurance of ₹341 crore for Kalaburagi district during the last monsoon season, the Congress-led State government was fully committed for furthering the welfare of farmers, and we have prioritized increasing the number of farmers covered under the insurance scheme, he said. State may face DAP shortage Mr. Kharge cautioned that the State may face shortage of DAP this Kharif season, as Karnataka has received only 42% of the required quantity of the fertilizer so far. He alleged that the Central government has diverted our share to Bihar, and our Agriculture Minister (N. Cheluvarayaswamy) has been in talks with the central government regarding the necessary supply of fertilizers, he said. Photos: Priyank_Kharge_(1) Priyank_Kharge_(2)\ Priyank_Kharge_(3)
New Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
No pay for months, Karnataka NREGA contract staff on protest leave
MYSURU: Nearly 4,000 contractual staff with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme have not been paid for the last five to seven months. Though the staff, who are responsible for creating employment in rural areas under the programme, have approached top officials and appealed for the payment of pending salaries, nothing has been done. The staff that have not been paid include engineers, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) workers and field staff. With no sign of salaries, they have resorted to a protest and applied for mass casual leave, boycotting work. They have also staged demonstrations in front of zilla panchayat offices across the state. The tragic story is the same even in Mysuru, the home district of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. These coordinators are crucial in ensuring that the rural folk get 100 days of employment per year under the scheme. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has written to Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for urgent intervention for the immediate release of pending wages, material and administrative funds to ensure livelihoods of lakhs of scheme beneficiaries and maintenance of administrative efficiency. The lack of funds has affected routine operations, supervision and ground-level implementation.
