ENARADA, Bengaluru, September 25, 2015
Gudibanda taluk in Chikkaballapura District is soon set to lose its backward tag, courtesy a three-pronged strategy adopted by the district administration.
Gudibanda, which borders Andhra Pradesh, is considered to be one of the most backward taluks in the state. Despite numerous schemes introduced in the past, the taluk is yet to see development in large scale.
However, things seem to be changing pretty fast at Gudibanda as the taluk is catching up with a number of reforms.
Firstly, Gudibanda is set to become the first ‘Phodi’-free area in the country. (Phodi refers to a land for which farmers have no land records).
Speaking to Enarada.com, Chikkaballapura deputy commissioner Dr Venkatesh MV said the prevalence of unclear land records (Phodi) was one of the main reasons for property disputes in the state. Added to this, banks were refusing to provide loans to such farmers. As a first step, records are being digitised and the preliminary survey has been completed for 10,000 survey numbers.
“Soon, the farmers with phodi land will be given fresh survey numbers. The fresh survey numbers will not only instill confidence among these marginalised farmers but will also help them claim ownership as well as make them eligible for bank loans. These measures are set to change the local economy,” said Dr.Venkatesh.
Secondly, the district administration has decided to completely stop open defecation. The villagers are being educated against open defecation and 50,000 toilets will be constructed. Dr Venkatesh said that his first priority was to ensure that every household had a toilet.
Finally, tourism is set to get a big push. Gudibanda, which has a number of hillocks is a heaven for tourists and trekkers. Most of the hillocks are virgin territories which are yet to be explored. So, the district administration is focussing on improving these lesser known places.
To begin with, Gudibanda fort will be given top priority. The narrow roads in and around the fort will be widened to 82 feet and encroached properties have been demolished. The fort will be spruced up to promote tourism. In fact, the Gudibanda fort which is popularly known as Surasadmagiri Hill is a seven-tier fort constructed by a local ruler Byre Gowda.
Gudibanda fort offers breathtaking views and the district administration believes that promoting Gudibanda fort can attract a number of trekkers/tourists from Benglauru as the place is just 100 km from the city and is easily accessible.
