Bangalore, Oct 08: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna will embark on a four-day "janaspandana" (people's contact) programme from today till October 11 aimed at gathering peoples response to his government's four-year-old performance and the efficacy of development programmes initiated by him. Virtually billed as the Congress's election campaign launch for the 2004 assembly polls, Krishna would be traversing about 600 kms by road through eight districts from Bangalore to Bijapur.

On October 11, the day which marks the completion of his taking over the reigns of the state as Chief Minister Krishna will address a small gathering at Bijapur where he would field questions seeking peoples' response to the 15-point development programmes launched by him in 1994. Some of the programmes which are the brain child of Krishna like bhoomi, the much hailed computerisation of land records, Akshara Dasoha, the mid-day meal scheme, stree shakti, women empowerment programme, housing project taken on a massive scale and Raitha Mitra set to help farmers have been implemented.

Sources close to the Chief Minister say, the exercise was to elicit views of people on development programmes including on housing as the Congress government had constructed a record seven lakh houses in the last four years out of the 11 lakh target. The "Yashaswini" health insurance programme launched for farmers and their families and free education upto pre-university level for girls have won appreciation from all, the sources said.

Bureau Report