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Minister for Women and Child Development and Udupi district in charge Lakshmi Hebbalkar on Saturday, November 1, said steps will be taken to upgrade Shirva Gram Panchayat in the district as a town panchayat. Developing town Shirva has all the ingredients to become a town panchayat and if elections to the taluk and zilla panchayats were not conducted by December, immediate steps would be taken for upgrading the gram panchayat, Ms. Hebbalkar said. She was speaking after laying foundation stone for several development works and distributing government facilities in Kapu Assembly constituency limits at Shirva and Udyavara. Ms. Hebbalkar said the constituency would witness comprehensive development in the coming days with the release of adequate funds. Stating that former Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, who represented Kapu earlier, got ₹10 crore funds released from the Chief Minister for development works in the constituency. Steps were being taken to release additional ₹26 crore funds, she said appreciating Mr. Sorake’s commitment towards the constituency. There should be no politics when it comes for development, Ms. Hebbalkar said adding incumbent Gurme Suresh Shetty too was keen to develop the constituency. Mr. Sorake and Mr. Shetty, and she would collectively ensure Kapu witnesses overall development, the Minister said. Stating that the Siddaramaiah government has introduced several welfare programmes for women, Ms. Hebbalkar said the 24th installment of Gruha Lakshmi purse was already released to the beneficiaries. Mr. Shetty, Mr. Sorake, Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa, Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal, Shirva panchayat president Savitha Rajesh, Kurkalu panchayat president Prashanth A. Poojary and others were present.
