Halappa Achar

Halappa Basappa Achar (born 1 December 1952) is an Indian politician who has served as the Cabinet Minister of Mines and Geology, Minister of Women and Child Development, and Minister of Disabled and Senior Citizens Empowerment for the Government of Karnataka since 4 August 2021. He is the in-charge minister of Dharwad District and a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, representing the Yelburga constituency.

He was previously elected as a Member of Karnataka Legislative Council from the Raichur Assembly constituency in 2010.

Early life and education
Halappa Achar was born on 1 December 1952 to Shri Basappa Shivappa Achar and Smt. Gauramma Basappa Achar. He graduated with a BSc and chose to pursue agriculture, becoming an exceptional farmer. With 12 acres of farmland, his efforts to bring borewell water from 4–5 kilometers (2.5–3.1 miles) away won accolades from the farming community. He received the Best Farmer award from the then Union Minister for Agriculture, Shri Balram Jakhar, for his grape crops. He continued farming for 10 years and became a role model farmer in his taluk. He is married to Smt. Ratnamma.

Political career
He was elected as Director of Masaba Hanchinal Cooperative Bank in 1976. He entered politics by becoming Vice-Chairman of TAPCMS in Yelburga in 1978. He is known for revamping taluk-level cooperative societies.

Sahakara Ratna
Halappa Achar took over as Director of RDCC Bank in 1988-89, rescuing it from near bankruptcy. Recognizing his efforts in resurrecting the bank, the Karnataka government, led by then-CM HD Kumaraswamy, honored him with the 'Sahakara Ratna' award.

Elected as MLC
He was elected as an MLC in 2010 by contesting from local bodies on a BJP ticket and emerged victorious with the highest margin of 400 votes in total, representing Raichur and Koppal districts for 6 years.

He successfully utilized his MLCLAD funds to implement minor irrigation projects in his constituency. Later, in 2013, he succeeded in securing a sanction of Rs. 1,000 crore for the Yelburga Bevuru irrigation project from the then Chief Minister, Shri Jagadeesh Shetter.

As President of Karnataka State Cooperative Marketing Federation
When he took over as President of the Karnataka State Cooperative Marketing Federation in 2011, the institution was facing bankruptcy and owed Rs. 36 crore to the government. Halappa Achar revived the institution and continued as President of the board for seven years. Under his leadership, the institution repaid all its outstanding debts and became independent, achieving a profit of Rs. 35 crore by the end of his tenure.

As Director of IFFCO and Apex Bank
With his experience in the field, he served as Director of IFFCO and Apex Bank for 10 years. He was also President of the Hampi Foundation Authority Trust from 2012-13 to 2014-15.

Public Service
He has been arranging free coaching in Kuknoor, Hirevankalakunta, and Masaba Hanchinal for poor children to prepare them for Navodaya, Sainik School, Kittur Rani Chennamma School, and various other entrance exams. He continues to motivate young students in the field of education, emphasizing and supporting their efforts.

Rejuvenation of Lakes in Yelburga Constituency
At his own expense, Halappa Achar has rejuvenated lakes such as Karamudi, Mandalagiri, Mandalamari, Linganabandi, and various others in his constituency.

This has benefited thousands of families, helping various farmers and residents throughout the region.

Example for Transparency
With the support of all the directors of RDCC Bank, Apex Bank, and Karnataka State Cooperative Marketing Board, he has been known for conducting transparent recruitment of staff for these institutions based on merit.

Member of Legislative Assembly
In the 2018 election, he defeated former Congress minister Basavaraj Rayareddy by 13,000 votes, marking his debut appearance in the Assembly.

He has succeeded in securing a sanction of Rs. 1,729 crore for the 3rd phase of the Koppal irrigation project.

As Minister for Women and Child welfare, he worked closely with researchers at the Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health to implement the End Malnutrition Initiative in his constituency.