Bengaluru: Ahead of the Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections, the Siddaramaiah led Congress party ministers have begun touring the state and launching several development programmes.

The ruling party has released funds to rural areas in the name of development and the CM has been touring Mysuru, Belagavi, Davangere and Bengaluru rural districts. Today, January 6, he will be in Bagalkot, Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts and will be launching development programmes along with his cabinet ministers.

According to sources in the party, the CM will be launching programmes worth Rs 150 crore in Devadurga taluk of Raichur district before January 11.

The State Election Commission is scheduled to announce the election dates after which the model code of conduct will be in place, which would then restrain the government from announcing any new programmes. Keeping this in mind the ruling party has scheduled a series of programmes in various districts.

The Devadurga constituency will have by-elections following the death of the sitting Congress MLA Venkatesh Naik before the end of February.

Hence, the government will be releasing Rs 100 crore from the social welfare department for the welfare of SC/ST and minorities in Devadurga taluk which will allocate funds for drilling borewells and as loans for self-help groups.

The Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited will be launching a programme worth Rs 65 crore in the taluk.

Apart from CM Siddaramaiah, Home minister G Parameshwara is touring north Karnataka districts. He will be touring Hubballi, Manvi, Sindhanur and Raichur districts and will be participating in programmes of the police department. Other Cabinet ministers too were seen touring different districts.