The political tussle between Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar escalated on Monday over claims of credit for securing central funds for the development of the Renuka Yellamma Temple in Saundatti.
Speaking at a press conference in Belagavi, Shettar accused the state government of attempting to claim full credit for the temple’s development. His remarks came in response to Hebbalkar’s recent statement downplaying his involvement in securing the funds.
Hebbalkar had recently stated that Shettar played no major role in the sanctioning process, instead crediting Tourism Minister H.K. Patil entirely for the effort. Countering this, Shettar noted that the Union Tourism Ministry had approved Rs 100 crore in November 2024 for the temple’s development.
He further pointed out that although the state government announced a Rs 199 crore master plan for the temple’s development on the Tirupati model — along with another temple project near Bengaluru in the governor’s address — the plan was not reflected in the budget. Shettar claimed this was an attempt by the state to claim sole credit while ignoring the central government’s role.
“I’m not looking for personal recognition, but my efforts can’t be ignored. I wrote letters, held meetings with officials, and followed up personally to ensure the state’s proposal was taken seriously by the Centre,” Shettar said.
