HUKKERI (BELAGAVI DIST): Senior BJP leader and eight-time MLA Umesh Katti on Friday slammed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for making a commitment at an election rally in Jatt, Maharashtra, that he would release water from Karnataka’s Tubchi-Bableshwar lift irrigation project.
Terming it an “election gimmick”, Katti said, “Being the CM, Yediyurappa should refrain from making such childish statements.” He had made the announcement at a rally in Jatt on October 16.
At a press conference at Hira Sugar guesthouse, Hukkeri, Katti demanded to know how Yediyurappa alone could take a decision on releasing water to Maharashtra. “The CMs of both states must sit across the table and take a call on such sensitive issues. Any decision on sharing of water should not harm the interests of the people of Karnataka. When the state government is not ready to give enough water to its own people, how is it possible to give water to people outside?” he asked.
Katti said that such important issues should not be taken lightly by leaders only because elections were around the corner, and recalled that Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had declined to share water with Karnataka from the Koyna dam, though many areas of North Karnataka were reeling under severe drinking water scarcity.
“Why should Karnataka share water with Maharashtra when many areas of the state are suffering from drought?’’ he added. Katti questioned the stand of Fadnavis, Yediyurappa and PM Narendra Modi with regard to water sharing between the two states.
During Jagadish Shettar’s tenure as CM, Rs 1700 crore was set aside to utilise Krishna water in accordance with the Bachawat Award. However, the government failed to implement the Mahadayi project to divert Mahadayi river water to Karnataka, he rued.
Ever since Katti was denied a cabinet berth, he has been issuing statements against Yediyurappa and his government. When Yediyurappa landed in Belagavi airport enroute to Maharashtra for the election campaign, Katti did not bother to meet him, though he was at the airport at that time.
Katti renews demand for separate state
After remaining silent on his chief ministerial dream, Katti said he would certainly realise it at least once before his death. “There is no chance of becoming deputy CM now. I am confident that one day I will become CM. And if it is not possible to become CM of a united Karnataka, I will become CM of North Karnataka,’’ he told the media.
Katti appealed to the Centre to form a separate North Karnataka state and that it include cities from Maharashtra.