Bengaluru, A proposal to rename neighboring Ramanagara district as 'Bengaluru South' has once again gained traction, with a delegation led by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday and presenting a memo to raise the issue.
JD(S) leader and now Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister of the JD(S)-BJP coalition, when Ramanagara district was created in August 2007.
Kumaraswamy had earlier threatened to fast unto death if the Karnataka government decides to go ahead with the proposal to rename the district.
Ramanagara district is Kumaraswamy's political turf as he has represented Ramanagara and Channapatna Assembly segments and he has also been an MP from the region.
The proposal has gained importance ahead of the yet-to-be-announced Channapatna Assembly by-elections necessitated by Kumaraswamy's election to the Lok Sabha from Mandya.
The delegation comprising district in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy, former Bengaluru rural MP D K Suresh, several Congress legislators and former district legislators also proposed that Ramanagara town, about 50 km from here, remain as renamed district headquarters.
"There is a feeling among the people of Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks that the international reputation, sovereignty and prestige of Bengaluru should also be available to their taluks and so should our thinking," said Shivakumar and others Members of the delegation, who are signatories to the memorandum, said.
"Therefore, the present Ramanagara district, consisting of these taluks, should be renamed and Ramanagara taluk should be declared its headquarters," they said.
Shivakumar, a native of the district, also spoke last year about plans to rename the district from Ramanagara to Bengaluru South, in which he hopes the "Bengaluru Brand" will have an impact on nearby smaller towns.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Chief Minister, Shivakumar said the proposal could be placed before the Cabinet for "discussion and decision".
“We are all from Bengaluru district (Bengaluru city, Doddaballapura, Devanahalli, Hoskote, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Kanakapura, Magadi) technically and keeping in mind the administration, previous changes and reconstitutions were made as Bengaluru rural district and Bengaluru urban district , and Later, a part of it became Ramanagara district," he said.
Ramanagara district will remain as it is with Ramanagara as the headquarters, but the district will be renamed Bengaluru South, said Shivakumar, also the state Congress chief.
"The whole world is looking at Bengaluru," he said. "We wanted to retain the original name of our district, so the district leaders held talks and under my leadership submitted a representation to the Chief Minister to rename it as Bengaluru South District. It will help Ramanagara, Channapatna, Kanakapura and Magadi in terms of development, industries, property value."
Responding to a question about reports on the possibility of a second airport for the city at Ramanagara or Tumakuru, he said: "For that, a technical report has to come. We will have to have it ready by 2032. Infrastructure development Minister MB Patil is studying the proposals, surveys are underway..."
Considering that earlier the taluks of Doddaballapura, Nelamangala, Yelahanka, Devanahalli, Anekal, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru East, Hoskote, Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura and Channapatna were part of Bengaluru district, the memorandum said that in 1986 a new Bengaluru rural district which consisted of Doddaballapura, Nelamangala Devanahalli, Hoskote, Channapatana, Ramanagara, Magadi and Kanakapura.
In 2007, keeping Doddaballapura as the centre, Bengaluru Rural District was reconstituted, consisting of Hosakote, Nelamangala, Devanahalli; and a separate Ramanagara district was formed consisting of Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Ramanagara, with Ramanagara as its headquarters.
JD(S) leader and now Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister of the JD(S)-BJP coalition, when Ramanagara district was created in August 2007.
Kumaraswamy had earlier threatened to fast unto death if the Karnataka government decides to go ahead with the proposal to rename the district.
Ramanagara district is Kumaraswamy's political turf as he has represented Ramanagara and Channapatna Assembly segments and he has also been an MP from the region.
The proposal has gained importance ahead of the yet-to-be-announced Channapatna Assembly by-elections necessitated by Kumaraswamy's election to the Lok Sabha from Mandya.
The delegation comprising district in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy, former Bengaluru rural MP D K Suresh, several Congress legislators and former district legislators also proposed that Ramanagara town, about 50 km from here, remain as renamed district headquarters.
"There is a feeling among the people of Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks that the international reputation, sovereignty and prestige of Bengaluru should also be available to their taluks and so should our thinking," said Shivakumar and others Members of the delegation, who are signatories to the memorandum, said.
"Therefore, the present Ramanagara district, consisting of these taluks, should be renamed and Ramanagara taluk should be declared its headquarters," they said.
Shivakumar, a native of the district, also spoke last year about plans to rename the district from Ramanagara to Bengaluru South, in which he hopes the "Bengaluru Brand" will have an impact on nearby smaller towns.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Chief Minister, Shivakumar said the proposal could be placed before the Cabinet for "discussion and decision".
“We are all from Bengaluru district (Bengaluru city, Doddaballapura, Devanahalli, Hoskote, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Kanakapura, Magadi) technically and keeping in mind the administration, previous changes and reconstitutions were made as Bengaluru rural district and Bengaluru urban district , and Later, a part of it became Ramanagara district," he said.
Ramanagara district will remain as it is with Ramanagara as the headquarters, but the district will be renamed Bengaluru South, said Shivakumar, also the state Congress chief.
"The whole world is looking at Bengaluru," he said. "We wanted to retain the original name of our district, so the district leaders held talks and under my leadership submitted a representation to the Chief Minister to rename it as Bengaluru South District. It will help Ramanagara, Channapatna, Kanakapura and Magadi in terms of development, industries, property value."
Responding to a question about reports on the possibility of a second airport for the city at Ramanagara or Tumakuru, he said: "For that, a technical report has to come. We will have to have it ready by 2032. Infrastructure development Minister MB Patil is studying the proposals, surveys are underway..."
Considering that earlier the taluks of Doddaballapura, Nelamangala, Yelahanka, Devanahalli, Anekal, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru East, Hoskote, Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura and Channapatna were part of Bengaluru district, the memorandum said that in 1986 a new Bengaluru rural district which consisted of Doddaballapura, Nelamangala Devanahalli, Hoskote, Channapatana, Ramanagara, Magadi and Kanakapura.
In 2007, keeping Doddaballapura as the centre, Bengaluru Rural District was reconstituted, consisting of Hosakote, Nelamangala, Devanahalli; and a separate Ramanagara district was formed consisting of Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Ramanagara, with Ramanagara as its headquarters.
