Rs 470 crore granted to religious bodies

BIDAR: The state government has released Rs 470 crore to various religious institutions and places of worship in the last four years, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said in Bidar on Thursday.Inaugurating Jhira Pragat Samagam function at the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Jhira, he said the BJP government had released `50 crore for the development of Bidar district since it came to power in 2008.He said there were striking similarities between the ideals of the Sharana revolution of the 12th century and the ideology of Guru Nanak.Dharam Skips FunctionMP N Dharam Singh, who led a delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other ministers to seek a special package for the Jhira Pragat Samagam, was conspicuous by his absence at the function.Political observers said it was due to the controversy over the Gurdwara being built on encroached Wakf land.Last week, the trustees of the Syed Us-Sadat Dargah requested the state government to cancel the permission given to the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Jhira as it was built on a disputed site.`5 cr for Basavakalyan Devpt BoardMeanwhile, the chief minister announced `5 crore to Basavakalyan Development Board to continue the construction of memorials of various social reformers of the 12th century.