From Mid-Day Meal Initiative to Brand Bengaluru: Celebrating S.M. Krishna's Legacy in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Dec 10 (NationPress) The late S.M. Krishna, former Chief Minister of Karnataka and a veteran politician now in his nineties, is universally recognized for his monumental contributions to the state, earning admiration from individuals across all political lines.

His initiatives, spanning from the inception of the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme for students to the development of 'Brand Bengaluru', are widely acknowledged.

Under the leadership of S.M. Krishna, the MDM Scheme was launched by the Congress Government in Karnataka during the years 2002-03.

Having dedicated 46 years to the Congress Party before his departure in 2017, he recognized the necessity of providing meals to children for effective learning, leading to the implementation of the MDM Scheme in schools.

Initiated in seven districts of North Karnataka, which continue to face challenging socio-economic conditions, the scheme has achieved remarkable success and has significantly decreased the student dropout rates.

The core aim of the scheme is to deliver nutritious food to students, and it was later expanded statewide.

Another key achievement attributed to S.M. Krishna is the Yashasvini health insurance scheme, which represented a significant advancement in healthcare access for the state's populace.

This initiative was formulated after extensive consultations with both medical professionals and farmers.

Although the scheme was temporarily halted, it was reinstated during the prior BJP administration.

At one point, S.M. Krishna expressed that among the initiatives he championed as Chief Minister, the healthcare scheme and the mid-day meals for students were particularly dear to him.

While extending his condolences in the House, CM Siddaramaiah expressed his admiration for the esteemed leader S.M. Krishna.

“S.M. Krishna was a statesman with exceptional foresight and vision. He was deeply involved in politics for many years. During my student days, I attended a meeting of the Praja Socialist Party convened by S.M. Krishna, after which I joined Lohia's Socialist Party,” stated CM Siddaramaiah.

“S.M. Krishna made his independent bid for the Legislative Assembly as early as 1962. He was a unique politician who served in all four legislative bodies: the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, Rajya Sabha, and Lok Sabha. His roles included Chief Minister, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Union Minister, and Governor,” CM Siddaramaiah noted.

“I joined the Congress when he was the Governor of Maharashtra. When I decided to join the Congress, I informed him, and he was supportive of my choice,” CM Siddaramaiah reminisced.

“He was an outstanding parliamentarian, always treating others with respect and refraining from engaging in divisive politics. He effectively managed a major crisis during his tenure when Kannada cinema's legendary actor Dr. Rajkumar was kidnapped,” CM Siddaramaiah remarked.

“He envisioned elevating Bengaluru to a global standard, akin to Singapore. The substantial contribution of S.M. Krishna in branding Bengaluru as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ is noteworthy,” Siddaramaiah emphasized.

“Following a long political engagement with the Congress, he switched to the BJP and announced his retirement from active politics within a year. He was a remarkable administrator and a gentleman in politics,” noted Siddaramaiah.

In his condolence address at the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in Belagavi, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka highlighted that S.M. Krishna was instrumental in establishing the international airport in Bengaluru and played a vital role in the city’s Metro project.

“The contributions he made towards the city's development will forever be remembered by the people of Bengaluru,” Ashoka remarked.

“Krishna was Chief Minister during my tenure as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, and he transformed Bengaluru’s landscape,” Ashoka explained.

“It is notable that Gandhi Ji visited S.M. Krishna’s home and received his blessings,” he added.

“If anyone has shaped and contributed to ‘Brand Bengaluru,’ it is undoubtedly S.M. Krishna. No other leader in the state has made contributions to it like him. He established a task force to oversee the quality of infrastructure and development projects in the city, convening monthly meetings that he presided over,” Ashoka stated.

To honor his contributions, S.M. Krishna was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.

It is well known that during his tenure as CM, numerous IT/BT companies relocated to Bengaluru.

Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Legislative Council, also paid tribute to the late leader before the session commenced.

A condolence gathering is scheduled at the KPCC office in Bengaluru on Wednesday at 5:30 PM to honor former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, as announced by Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will travel from Belagavi to attend this meeting, along with ministers and MLAs,” Shivakumar, who also serves as the state Congress President, stated.