Bengaluru, May 22 (IANS) The Karnataka government has renamed Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South on Thursday amid opposition from the Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy and the state BJP.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the state Cabinet has approved the renaming of Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South.

He said that Ramanagara will continue to remain the district headquarters, adding that only the district’s name has been changed to Bengaluru South.

The Deputy Chief Minister pointed out that earlier, this area was part of the Bengaluru district, adding that in view of administrative considerations, this name is being retained.

“A formal notification will be issued. There are no financial constraints for this. Originally, this was part of the Bengaluru district. I myself served as the President of the Bengaluru Rural Zilla Panchayat. Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, and Magadi were all part of Bengaluru. We are now working to restore that identity. The cabinet has decided to legally rename the district as Bengaluru South,” he said.

When asked whether the Union government opposed the move, he said that the Central government has no authority in this matter.

“We only sent a proposal to keep them informed. However, some tried to politicise the issue. This is a state subject. It is our right. We have created other districts like Gadag and Chamarajanagar without seeking the Centre’s permission. Similarly, Ramanagara was created without consulting them. Henceforth, all records will reflect the name Bengaluru South district. All of you must now refer to me as a resident of the Bengaluru South district,” he said.

He also added that several organisations and temples in Bengaluru have acquired plots under the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) limits.

“The cabinet has decided to offer a one-time interest waiver benefit to such owners. If they pay their outstanding taxes within 125 days, the interest amount will be waived. Discussions were also held regarding the tendering of the tunnel construction. A final decision on whether to adopt the hybrid model will be taken after consulting the Chief Minister on technical aspects,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that it will be a global tender, adding that the approval has been granted for Phase 3 of the Metro project, estimated at Rs 40,424 crore.

“During the BJP regime, tenders were called for 98 waste management packages. Some individuals had taken the matter to court. The court has now dismissed their petitions and instructed the state to make a final decision within four months. We plan to implement one package per constituency, and two packages in larger constituencies, totalling 33 packages. Tenders will be called shortly. The waste management plan will be implemented over a seven-year period at an estimated cost of Rs 4,790 crore,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister elaborated that there will be significant differences between the current and new systems, with responsibilities assigned for waste segregation, vehicle management, and the separation of construction debris.

–IANS

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