"We are repaying the public debt through rapid growth. The opposition is daydreaming to dig the grave of Modi but I am busy making the life of farmers easy. We have increased the infrastructure budget and allotted 10 lakh crore rupees for the infrastructure. This infrastructure will bring more employment and investment opportunities. Rs. 1 lakh crore has been invested in the highway projects of Karnataka. From investment in biotechnology, IT, defence manufacturing, and aerospace to the manufacturing of electric vehicles Karnataka is proceeding at a fast pace." This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating many developmental schemes and the six-lane Mysuru to Khushalnagar section of NH 275 and 118 km. long Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Mandya, Karnataka today. The project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crores. PM Modi inaugurated Dharwad IIT Campus in Karnataka's Hubballi and also unveiled the longest railway platform in the world at Sri Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station. Earlier, thousands of people lined up along the streets of Mandya and showered yellow saffron flower petals on PM Modi as his convoy passed through during his roadshow.
The PM further said that seeing the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway the youth of our country is feeling proud. Bengaluru is famous as the technology hub and Mysuru city is known for its heritage and culture. Road connectivity is very vital for these two cities. The expressway will reduce the distance between Bengaluru and Mysuru and the travel time will come down from three hours to about 75 mins. Through this expressway reaching Kaveri-Guruvayur would be easy and it will boost tourism in the state. The Mysuru-Khushalnagar highway will eliminate the problem of landslides and it will increase industrial development also. Also, the problem of traffic will be reduced and the state's economic development will be more. Taking a jibe over the opposition PM said that before 2014 the congress government did nothing for the development of the deprived class. Whereas, the BJP government in the centre and state, i.e., the double engine government has given priority to the poor. For the development of Karnataka, the double-engine government is essential. For the last 9 years, the BJP government has been making the lives of the poor easy and giving benefits to them, through schemes like Ujjwala, Pakka House, Jal Jeevan Mission, etc. The PM further said that the pending irrigation projects for farmers have been given prominence and Rs. 5300 crores have been sanctioned for the upper Bhadra Project that will benefit the state of Karnataka and help to resolve the irrigation problems in the state. Through the PM Kisaan Samman scheme and through double engine government farmers in Karnataka are getting double benefits like Rs. 12 thousand crores have been sent directly by the central government to deposit in the bank accounts of Karnataka farmers. Similarly, Rs. 600 crores have been sanctioned to deposit in the bank account of 2.75 lakh farmers in Mandya. Also, Rs. 6000 deposited by the central government in PM Kisaan Samman Scheme, the government of Karnataka deposits Rs. 4000. That means the double engine government giving more benefit to the farmers, he added.
He said that the sugarcane farmers face more problems. In sugar mills, the debt of sugarcane lasted a long time and was a big burden to the farmers. For this, the BJP government has decided to increase the production of Ethanol that is produced by sugarcane. Through ethanol, the income of farmers will get certain and guaranteed. Last year the sugar mills sold Rs. 20 thousand crores of ethanol to various oil factories. Through this sugarcane farmers timely clear their debts. Rs. 17 thousand crore ethanol has been purchased from the sugar mills from 2013 to last season and this amount has reached to the sugarcane farmers. Many provisions have been made to the sugarcane farmers in this budget, the PM added.The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “The six-lane Mysuru to Khushalnagar section of NH 275 will give a boost to the development of Karnataka. Bengaluru is the development engine of India. In Karnataka, we are doing Rs. 2 lakh crore development work. Also, we are constructing a ring road worth Rs. 17 thousand crores. With 89 underpasses, 8km of elevated road, and for water conservation also Amrit Sarovars have been constructed. It will boost tourism and employment opportunities also. The Highway will be joined to NH 209 and NH212 which will eventually connect to Tamilnadu and Kerala also. It will help to reach heritage cities like Srirangapatna, Mysuru, and others. Here, on Karnataka roads, we are making helipads, drone pads, handicrafts, and wooden furniture with other stalls. The other Bengaluru to Mangalore road will be inaugurated and enhance the economic activity in this region. He further said that PM Modi has given priority to the infrastructure and because of that Gati Shakti Scheme has been framed.