Kumaraswamy keeps promise to visit jinxed town

Chamarajanagara, Karnataka, May 25: It will be a dream come true for the people of this jinxed district when Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tours the district for three days from May 27.

Mr Kumaraswamy would be the first Chief Minister, after nearly 17 years, to visit the district as popular belief had it that a Chief Minister would lose power if he set foot in the district.

Immediately after assuming office, he had promised to visit the district.

Mr Kumaraswamy's proposed visit to the town has raised many eyebrows as both Mr S R Bommai and Mr Veerendra Patil lost power six months after visiting this town. The Chief Ministers who succeeded Mr Patil, including S Bangarappa, M Veerappa Moily, H D Deve Gowda, J H Patel, S M Krishna and N Dharam Singh, avoided visiting the town.

Mr Patil was the last Chief Minister to visit the district during his short tenure and it was believed that he lost power because of this particular visit.

Though Chamarajanagara was bifurcated from Mysore district in 1997 during the tenure of Mr J H Patel, he avoided inaugurating the district at a function organised in Male Mahadeshwara hills.

Meanwhile, officials have taken up arrangements on a war footing to welcome the VVIP guest and the entire district is being spruced up. District incharge Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad held a meeting with officials in view of the Chief Minister's visit and prepared a list of development works to be launched on the occasion.

According to Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Jayaram, the Chief Minister would launch development programmes worth Rs 300 crore in the district.

According to his tour itinerary, the Chief Minister would arrive here on May 27 and stay overnight at Badagalamore. Next day, he would visit Chamarajanagara town and hold 'Janata Darshan' at the Zilla Panchayat office. He would also address a public meeting in the town. He would stay overnight at the Kombudikki tribal settlement at the foot of MM Hills on May 28. Of the 148 families in the settlement, 117 belonged to Beda Kampana tribe.

UNI