Vidhana Soudha on Kempegowda statue in one year: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai | Bengaluru News – Times of India

Infosys chairperson Sudha Murthy, former chief minister SM Krishna and former national badminton coach Vimal Kumar received the Kempegowda International Award.

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said a statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda would be installed in the Vidhana Soudha complex within a year.
Bommai responded to the demand of Nirmalananda Swami of Adichunchungiri Math at an event organized here on the occasion of Kempegowda’s 513th birth anniversary. “Bengaluru was built by Kempegowda and it is natural that his statue should be installed in the premises of Vidhana Soudha. Our government will do that,” he said.
The government presented the inaugural Kempegowda International Awards to former Chief Minister and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy and former badminton ace Prakash Padukone. While Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy received the award on her husband’s behalf, former national badminton coach Vimal Kumar received it on Padukone’s behalf.
In 2001, Bommai said, the then BMP allocated Rs 12 lakh for setting up a statue of kempegowda In front of the Secretariat building but due to various reasons this could not happen.
He was silent on another demand of another Vokkaliga seer, Spatikapuri Math priest Nanjavadutha Swamy, who wanted the government to rename the Namma metro rail after Kempegowda.
The seer said, “Though we have already honored Kempegowda by renaming the Bengaluru International Airport and the Majestic Bus-Stand after her, her name should also be on the most important transport system, the Metro. After all, she is Namma Kempegowda. ,” said the seer.
Bommai said the government plans to complete the 108-foot-tall statue at the airport when Terminal 2 is ready. “I want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to unveil Terminal 2 and the statue of Kempegowda,” he said. He said that the statue is getting ready fast and funds are being released regularly.
After receiving the award, SM Krishna said that the state government should focus on the development of Bengaluru. “In 1998-99, there was stiff competition between Bengaluru and Hyderabad to emerge as the Silicon Valley of India, but eventually Bengaluru made it through with the support of the state government,” he recalled.