Minister Eshwar B. Khandre saluting the national flag after hoisting it during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Nehru Stadium in Bidar on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister and Bidar district in-charge Minister Eshwar B. Khandre on Saturday said the new Anubhava Mantapa being built at Basavakalyan in Bidar district would be inaugurated by the coming Basava Jayanti.Hoisting the national flag at the 80th Independence Day celebrations in Bidar, Mr. Khandre said the Anubhava Mantapa project had an estimated cost of ₹750 crore and around 80% of the work had been completed.“As much as ₹480 crore had already been spent. The government will release ₹200 crore shortly so that the project will be completed within the stipulated time,” Mr. Khandre said.Recalling the contribution of freedom fighters, Mr. Khandre said the country would never forget those who had sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom. He said the independence movement, from the 1857 uprising to 1947, had involved several struggles, movements, and satyagrahas.He also recalled the contribution of Bidar freedom fighters, including Prabhurao Kambliwale, R.V. Bidappa, Ramachandra Veerappa and his father, Bhimanna Khandre.Describing Bidar as a land of peace, fraternity and social harmony, Mr. Khandre said the district had given the world the concept of democracy, equality and social justice through the Vachanas composed by Sharanas and the Anubhava Mantapa. He said the Anubhava Mantapa had provided equal status to people of different castes and communities as well as women, as early as the 12th century.On the drought-like situation in Bidar, Mr. Khandre said the district had suffered significant crop damage due to deficient rainfall, with green gram and black gram crops affected by about 95%.“Soybean and pigeon pea crops have also suffered damage. The government is prepared to tackle the situation. It will provide compensation for crop losses,” he said.Mr. Khandre said 13.8 lakh saplings had been planted in Bidar district over the past three years when he was Forest Minister and briefed the gathering about projects in the pipeline for Bidar.“The Inchuru Tree Park would be inaugurated shortly, and six more tree parks are being developed. A new Forest Bhavan would be constructed at a cost of ₹5 crore, while an ecotourism project at Honnikere, taken up at a cost of ₹17 crore, would also be completed shortly,” Mr. Khandre said.Speaking on the development works taken up by the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB) in Bidar, Mr. Khandre said that 5,814 works costing ₹3,145.85 crore had been taken up in Bidar district and 4,767 of them had been completed at a cost of ₹2,270.01 crore, while 642 works costing ₹643.50 crore were in progress.“Another 404 works costing ₹345.79 crore were yet to commence. For 2026-27, the KKRDB has sanctioned ₹430.49 crore for the district,” he said.The Independence Day celebrations were marked by a cultural presentation by more than 350 students of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Residential School at Godampalli on the theme of ‘Bharat Jodo’. Published - August 15, 2026 07:56 pm IST
