The State government will promptly release its share of 50 % of the
total funds earmarked for the Smart City project in Belagavi, district
in-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said here on Sunday.

He was
speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of roads
under the project. A sum of Rs. 1,000 crore will be spent for the city
under various schemes of the project. Half of this will come from the
Union government and the rest from the State government. “We will
release money in phases and there will be no delays,” he said. The State
government is committed to developing Belagavi. “We are very proud of
our works taken up in the city,” he said.

He described as far from
truth allegations by BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa that the Congress
government had neglected North Karnataka, especially Belagavi. “This is
among his many lies. The BJP will never come to power in Karnataka,
leave alone South India. People will see through its false promises and
divisive policies,” he said. “I will quit public life if the Congress
wins less than 10 of the 18 Assembly seats in Belagavi district,” Mr.
Jarkiholi said. He expressed the confidence that the party would win 14
seats in the district. He clarified that there was no discontent among
the Jarkiholi clan, and that his brothers Satish Jarkiholi and Lakhan
Jarkiholi were getting along well with each other. “We are all
together,” he added.