Belagavi, Sept. 24 -- Thirteen years ago, on 11 October 2012, the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi was inaugurated with considerable fanfare by the Prime Minister of India. The stated purpose was to bring governance closer to North Karnataka, a region long neglected in matters of administrative attention and political prioritisation. Yet, despite the passage of more than a decade, the promise remains largely unfulfilled.
Advocate BD Hiremath, a long-standing activist for North Karnataka, has now renewed calls for a decisive shift in governance: the relocation of the Principal Chief Secretary's office to Suvarna Soudha, the creation of a dedicated Kittur Karnataka ministry, and the declaration of Belagavi as the state's second capital.
"The gove...