Laxman Savadi Appointed In Charge Minister for Uttara Kannada District

The Karnataka government has appointed Minister Laxman Savadi as the in charge minister for Uttara Kannada district as part of a statewide allocation of district responsibilities.

The appointment comes soon after the recent expansion of the State Cabinet, which did not include any MLA from Uttara Kannada. Despite the Congress having five legislators from the district, none was given a ministerial position. The decision has disappointed several party leaders and workers in the district.

Former minister and Bhatkal MLA Mankal Vaidya was widely seen as a strong contender for a Cabinet berth until the final stages of the selection process. However, his name was left out of the final list, with the ministerial post going to S S Mallikarjun from Davanagere.

The government has also assigned district level responsibilities to ministers following reports of heavy rainfall in some parts of the state and rainfall shortage in others. Under this arrangement, Savadi will oversee Uttara Kannada and assess the district’s overall situation.

He is expected to visit the district soon to review rainfall levels, crop damage, drinking water availability, agricultural activities, and the impact of both excess rainfall and dry conditions across all taluks. After completing the assessment, he will submit a detailed report to the government. The report has been directed to be submitted to Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr G Parameshwara.

The government is expected to use these district reports to plan relief measures, provide assistance to farmers, and implement other support programmes in areas affected by floods or drought like conditions.

Although the district missed out on Cabinet representation, the appointment of Laxman Savadi as the in charge minister has drawn attention in political circles. Many will now be watching to see how he addresses the district’s key challenges and development needs.