Bengaluru: It has almost been decided – the IIT allotted to Karnataka, will come up at Raichur, at least that will be the state’s recommendation according to sources.

But why Raichur? It is indeed the state’s most backward district. Sources say that the CM has been forced into this choice by political and regional compulsions. The CM was apparently keen that it come up at Mysuru, his home district, but LOP in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun M Kharge met him recently, requesting him to recommend IIT for Raichur.

“Siddaramaiah doesn’t want to annoy Kharge who shares a close relationship with the high command, and that too at a time when the cry for a Dalit CM is growing by the day,” it is reported. There is also demand for a seperate state for North Karnataka. This demand has come to the fore time and again and most recently it has been raised by Senior Congress MLA A S Patil Nadalli.

While the state’s recommendations are important, the HRD ministry might take a different view as they will be guided by thier own guidelines.

“One of the key guidelines laid down by the HRD ministry is that an IIT should be located close to an international airport and people should have access to quality life and healthcare,” said some academics.

However, people from Raichur are hoping the proposal will be considered. “A high-power committee for redressal of regional imbalances headed by D M Nanjundappa in 2002 had recommended an IIT for Raichur to facilitate the district’s growth. Connectivity, land and drinking water aren’t a constraint here. Academically, the district has progressed enormously over the past decade,” said IIT Horata Samiti president Basavaraj Kalasa, who has been leading the agitation for an IIT since 2010.