BENGALURU: Arguments over allocation of funds for irrigation projects in the Krishna basin during the previous Congress government pushed former CM Siddaramaiah on the defensive in the Assembly. Basanagouda Patil Yatnal (BJP) accused the Kumaraswamy and the Siddaramaiah governments of gross injustice in allocation of irrigation projects in the Krishna basin.
He accused bias in favour of projects in south Karnataka. Siddaramaiah government had promised `50,000 crore for completion of Krishna projects over 5 years, but failed to fulfil it, Yatnal said. It evoked objection from Siddaramaiah. Yatnal said even the 2013 Congress manifesto had made a similar promise of spending `10,000 crore each year for Krishna projects.
Siddaramaiah said he had assured of spending `50,000 crore over a 5-year period for irrigation projects in state and not just for projects in Krishna basin. However, Yatnal started reading the 2013 Congress manifesto which promised to spend `10,000 crore annually for five years for projects in Krishna basin. He said the budget was biased in favour of south Karnataka. He also cautioned government against “this bias as it could sow seeds of separatism in the minds of people of north Karnataka.”