The State Cabinet on Friday approved the boundaries of the new Vijayanagara district. As per the official communication, six taluks from Ballari district – Hospet, Harappanahalli, Hoovinahadagali, Hagari Bommanahalli, Kotturu and Kudligi – would expectedly be the part of the new district and the remaining five taluks – Ballari, Sandur, Kampli, Kurugode and Siruguppa – would remain in Ballari district after the bifurcation. Hosapet would be the headquarters of the new district.
While the World Heritage Site of Hampi and the magnificent Tungabhadra reservoir would be part of Vijayanagara district, the mining areas and the mining-based industries and rice-growing irrigated belts and rice mills would be distributed between the two districts.
Though Forest Minister and Ballari in-charge Anand Singh, the man who was instrumental in the formation of the new district, had, as a bid to pacify the dissent for the Ballari bifurcation, repeatedly said that the boundaries of the new district and its headquarters would be finalised as per the administrative convenience, the Cabinet did not alter the original proposal both in terms of the taluks to be carved out from Ballari district to form the new district and the headquarters.
Bigger in area
Apart from the number of taluks, the new district would be bigger than the Ballari district in terms of geographical area. Vijayanagar would have 5,644 sq.km as compared to Ballari with 4,252 sq.km. Vijayanagara would have 18 hoblis and Ballari 13. But in terms of population as per the 2011 census, Ballari would be slightly bigger with 14,00,970 people as compared to Vijayanagara’s 13,53,628.
In September 2019, a delegation comprising Anand Singh and J.N. Ganesh, MLAs of Vijayanagar and Kampli respectively, MLC K.C. Kondaiah, Congress leader Allam Veerabhadrappa and other leaders met Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and demanded the formation of new the district.
Positively responding to this demand, Mr. Yediyurappa, in an official note, highlighted the need for the bifurcation of Ballari district and directed the Chief Secretary to include the issue in the next Cabinet meeting. Since there was some opposition to the demand, particularly from the camp of Reddy brothers, the proposal was put on hold temporarily. On November 18, 2020, the Cabinet approved the formation of Vijayanagar district.
