Banhatti Residents March 90 km to Bagalkote DC Office Demanding Taluk Praja Saudha Construction

Residents and civic leaders of Banhatti in Rabkavi Banhatti taluk staged a massive protest by undertaking a 90-kilometer foot march (padayatra) from Banhatti to the Bagalkote District Administration Complex. The march, organized under the banner of the Banhatti Town Development Committee, culminated in a siege of the district headquarters to press for the construction of the new taluk administrative building, known as the Praja Saudha, within Banhatti town limits. The agitation was launched following government administrative moves to transfer 3 acres 18 guntas of land under CTS No. 80 in neighboring Rabkavi from the Water Resources Department to the Revenue Department for building the complex. Protesters argued that Banhatti is the primary commercial and textile hub of the taluk, housing the court complex, police station, sub-treasury, government hospital, and major financial institutions. They demanded that the Praja Saudha be built on CTS No. 8822, comprising 3 acres 25 guntas of revenue land along the Kagawad-Kaladagi main road in Banhatti, which offers central connectivity for surrounding villages. Having conducted a 24-day relay hunger strike at Chennamma Circle in Banhatti, over 2,000 citizens joined the march along with hundreds of vehicles. The protesters halted overnight at the Ramarudha Math in Tulsigeri before arriving at the Bagalkote District Collectorate, where they blocked the entrance and submitted a detailed memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. Committee leaders including Shankar Soragavi, Rajendra Bhadrannavar, and Mallikarjun Banakar emphasized that local residents will continue their protest until the government officially sanctions Banhatti as the site for the taluk complex.