Union minister Pralhad Joshi said that a plan is being made to develop 50% of cities by 2051. Inaugurating the renovated old bus terminal under the Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Project of HDSCL here, Joshi said that the country is growing and is also making progress in investment. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is increasing, he added. 

Joshi mentioned that a sports complex is being built at a cost of Rs 1.8 billion, and maintaining it properly has become a challenge. Urban transport, drinking water, local transport, and electricity facilities should be given high priority. Tolanakere has also been developed under the Smart City Project. The Indira Glass House Garden is deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. Therefore, once the projects are launched, they should be maintained properly, he said. 

Joshi stated that the airport is being developed at a cost of Rs 3 billion. Emphasis is being placed on the direct railway line between Davanagere and Tumakuru. This will reduce the railway travel time between Hubballi and Bengaluru by one hour. All elected representatives should join hands in development works, forgetting party differences, he pointed out. 

District minister Santosh Lad inaugurated the terminal and said: "We need to work in a non-partisan manner. Akin to Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi, and Dharwad cities are growing. Emphasis needs to be laid on comprehensive development. If the Union govt provides a Rs 20 billion grant for 10 years now, it will complement the development achievements. Hubballi and Dharwad cities will also develop. After the projects are inaugurated, agencies should be given the opportunity to manage them completely." 

Lad mentioned that a few days ago, bus fares were increased by 15%. But Karnataka is the state with the highest number of govt buses. "The state has more than 25,000 govt buses. This is something that all Kannadigas should be proud of. There are more than 1 lakh public transport employees. More than 1 lakh trips are made in a day. About 120 million people travel in buses every day," he informed.