Mysore/Mysuru: Social Welfare Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, also the Minister in-charge of Mysuru district, clarified the Congress-led UPA–2’s role in enhancing road infrastructure in the State. Serving as the Public Works Minister from 2013 to 2018 in the previous Congress regime, Mahadevappa highlighted his and CM Siddaramaiah’s efforts in proposing the upgrade of State Highways to National Highways to the UPA-2 Government.

A DPR was prepared, leading to the sanction, declaration and notification of 1,882 km of State Highways as National Highways in Karnataka by late Oscar Fernandes, the then Minister for Surface Transport and Highways in the UPA-2 Government.

Despite the end of the UPA-2 regime in 2014, Mahadevappa and Siddaramaiah persisted in advocating for the proposal with Nitin Gadkari, the subsequent Minister. The roughly 2,000 km of State Highways declared as National Highways by the UPA-2 were carried forward for development under the next regime. Notably, highways such as the Mysuru-Bengaluru and Bidar-Chamarajanagar were upgraded to National Highways during UPA-2, he claimed.

Mahadevappa encountered an awkward situation when a section of the audience began chanting “Modi, Modi” as he stepped up to the podium to deliver his address.