My battle is to bring JD(S) back to power: former PM Gowda in Mangalore

November 20, 2011

Mangalore, November 20: “My battle is to bring Janata Dal (Secular) back to power and I will tour all the districts in the state to strengthen the party keeping in the mind the upcoming elections”, said former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda.

He was addressing to media persons during a small stop at Kavoor on the outskirts of the city, on his way to Udupi.

“Though I want to spend playful time with my grandchildren I don't do it,” said 78-year-old leader.

Clarifying that JD(S) is neither going to support BJP nor Congress in Bellary bypoll, Mr Gowda said if the district unit of the party wants it can support an independent candidate.

“JD(S) distances itself from both Congress and BJP as they are two faces of the same coin. Except Hindutva philosophy, Congress follows the same path of BJP in economic policies of the country”, he said.

He said the reason behind the decision of JD(S) not to field a candidate in Bellary bypoll, was that the party and the candidate did not want to waste the limited small resources. “It was my decision not to field candidate in Bellary as well as in Koppal because ruling party has advantage of spending money more”, he reasoned.

He said that it was not possible to support B Sriramulu openly. However, he said, he was the last person to take advantage of internal conflict of other parties.

Mr Gowda said that the Bellary bypoll may cause ripples in national level politics as national parties obviously want the support of regional parties for their survival before or after the election.

He also expressed his concern over the 'negligence of UPA government' to agricultural sector. He said that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh himself had admitted that the agriculture sector was being neglected during his tenure.

Illegal Mining

Mr Gowda said, it was JD(S) which included the establishment of Special Court for the inquiry of illegalities in mining in its election manifesto in 2004. “But we lost the election and the matter went in vain”, he added.

Y S V Datta, JD(S) spokeperson, Deviprasad Shetty, President of Belapu Gram Panchayat, S N Bojegowda, Vasanth Poojary, M B Sadashiva and others were present.

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Puttur's Healthcare Dream Cleared: State Finance Gives Nod for 300-Bed Hospital

News Network

December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

• A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

• The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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