Date:27/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/27/stories/2008112756640400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Balekundri Chair to be established at VTU

Special Correspondent

Concerted efforts should be made to address pressing problems: Chief Minister

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Proud moment: Winners of the Balekundri Award at the presentation function at the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Bangalore: The Government will establish a S.G. Balekundri Chair at the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has said.

Balekundri was an irrigation expert.

He was speaking after presenting the Balekundri Award for 2004, 2005 and 2006 here on Wednesday.

On pressing issues such as power shortage and the problems of farmers, he said that politicians and officials should make concerted efforts to address them effectively.

Minister for Water Resources (Major and Medium Irrigation) Basavaraj Bommai said that the Government was set to introduce irrigation schemes for maximum utilisation of its share of waters in all major rivers of the State.

Visionary

Minister for Minor Irrigation Govind Karjol described Balekundri as a visionary and a committed person.

Minister for Public Works C.M. Udasi released a CD on the life and achievements of the late engineer.

Kamala Balekundri drew the attention of the Government to the long pending proposal to set up a Chair in the name of her husband.

The award winners for 2004 are Masood Sheriff, M. Shivaswamy, K.G. Vijayakumar, R.N. Vijayakumar, and K.S. Nagaraj. K.F. Hulkund, P.K. Narasimhamurthy, M. Shymaladevi, D.N. Chandrashekhar and M. Bangaraswamy got the award for the year 2005, and D. Udayashankar, Jayanandam, A.S. Basavaraju, B.S. Gopichand and Mahadeva Prasad received the award for 2006.

The award carries a purse of Rs. 10,000, a gold medal, memento, citation and shawl.