Hosapete: Ever since the district was carved out of Ballari five years ago, a well-equipped Rangamandira had been a long-pending demand of the artistes of the district.

On Friday, this long-held dream of artistes would finally take shape with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expected to lay a foundation stone for the same near the deputy commissioner's office here.

The Rangamandira will come up with Rs 5 crore funds from the MP's Area Development Fund of Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Nirmiti Kendra has been assigned to give shape to Rangamandira on three acres of land near the DC's office.

Once completed, this would boost theatre activities in the district and also provide stages to government and private programmes. This will have 500 seats with all the modern facilities.

The M P Prakash Rangamandira at the City Municipal Council premises had been rendered useless for unscientific construction.

Only its indoor stadium was utilised for major programmes. Several memorandums were submitted demanding a rangamandira for the district. But the state government had not responded to it.

Apart from the Rangamandira, the minister will also lay a foundation stone for a park to come up next to Rangamandira at a cost of Rs 99 lakh, a CSR initiative of the SBI.

It may be recalled here that last year, Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had inaugurated a tamarind and groundnut processing centre at Kasapura of Gudekote hobli in Kudligi taluk.