SHIVAMOGGA: Reacting to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement that he will not allow a gazette notification on increasing the height of Alamatti dam, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said here on Friday, “Fadnavis, you are not the judge. Our water is our right. As per the court order, the state is permitted to raise the height of the dam to 524 metre from the existing 518 metre. We are waiting for the gazette notification and you can’t stop it.”
Offering the bagina at the Bhadra Reservoir Project, Shivakumar said, “If we go to elections on this issue, your party (BJP) will be trounced.
A special cabinet meeting has been called on September 16 and we are finalising this issue to give relief to farmers. We want to support the farming community, but your policies are anti-farmer. BJP leaders have to understand it first.”
He said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced Rs 5,300 crore in the budget for the Upper Krishna Project, but former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai failed to get the amount. “Not even a single rupee was sanctioned. You could not live up to your promise.
Congress will raise a fight over this issue and provide justice to people,” he added. The Congress government has already spent Rs 10,000 crore on the project, he added.
Shivakumar said the Bhadra reservoir, which is full, provides security to the lives of the farmers in five districts. On the request of MP Dr Prabha Mallikarjun, the government sanctioned Rs 100 crore to develop canals. “Our government has committed Rs 11,000 crore for various irrigation projects that include Rs 362 crore towards projects in the Channagiri constituency,” he said.
Asked whether the state government has accepted the Kantharaju report on caste census, he said, “Our CM said at the cabinet meeting that the report is over 10 years old. We have decided to take up the Socio-Economic Survey again and fixed the date also.”
On the Mahadayi river diversion project, he said, “The central government has to give us the green signal and provide environment clearance. The government has already invited a tender. If these issues get cleared, the tender will be awarded and the work will be completed.”