BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday flagged delimitation and women’s reservation issues at the Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.
He urged the Southern Zonal Council to adopt a resolution asking the Union government to honour the 1971 census for delimitation, retain 543 Lok Sabha seats for the next 25 years and provide women’s reservation within the existing seats. He also called upon southern states to shift from “water sharing” to “water cooperation”.
The south answered the nation’s call and controlled its population with discipline and success and the success must never become the reason to make its voice smaller, he said. “Our economic weight must be matched with political voice,” he said.
Water must unite states, says DKS
“Our share of representation cannot be reduced, in absolute numbers or in proportion,” Shivakumar said. He urged the council to move a resolution to freeze the current number of seats in Lok Sabha and provide women’s reservation within that. “I call upon my fellow chief ministers to stand together behind our shared stand,” he said.
Shivakumar said they welcome the assurance that no southern state will lose seats, but representation is not only about numbers, it is also about weight and about voice. “I am confident that all the chief ministers here will support me in what I say. Let the 1971 basis be honoured and let the strength of our voice be protected,” Shivakumar said, adding that the implementation of women’s reservation should not be delayed on account of a fresh delimitation exercise as “women have waited long enough for their rightful representation”.
The CM said India’s growth story runs through the south. “Our five states hold about 20 percent of India’s population, yet contribute nearly 33 percent of its GDP. One out of every three rupees in this economy comes from the south. And within this engine of the Indian economy, Karnataka is one of the strongest drivers,” he said.
Stating that pride demands fairness in return, Shivakumar said under the 15th Finance Commission, Karnataka’s share in the divisible pool fell from 4.7 per cent to 3.6 per cent, a cut of nearly 23 per cent, causing a loss of an estimated Rs 65,000 crore to the state over six years. The 15th Finance Commission recommended a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore and state-specific grants of Rs 6,000 crore to the state, but these recommended grants were not released, he said.
Since the Finance Commission report has already been accepted and the state’s shares have become final, he called upon the Union government to do justice to Karnataka through additional central projects like the Bengaluru-Mumbai high-speed rail project, STRR South, AIIMS for Raichur and a special package for Kalyana Karnataka.
Meanwhile, the CM flagged the issue of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir project, stating that it is an important project not only for Karnataka, but for Tamil Nadu as well. Water from the Mekedatu project will help farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He called for a shift from “water sharing” to “water cooperation”. “Our rivers do not recognise political boundaries. The Cauvery, the Krishna, the Tungabhadra, the Pennar and the Palar are the lifelines of the Southern peninsula. Water must unite us, not divide us. The time has come to move from water sharing to water cooperation,” the CM said.
They accept that every riparian state has legitimate needs and the state’s stand rests on three principles: equity, transparency, cooperation. But cooperation must run both ways, he said. “Karnataka has always respected its neighbours’ rights, and asks only that our own be respected in return, our lawful share under the tribunal awards and the timely completion of the projects that carry water to our farmers,” he added.
PSUs auctioning land
Shivakumar objected to public sector undertakings (PSUs) auctioning land allotted to them by state governments.
“Today morning, I got a call from my officials that ITI, which has become non-functional, is auctioning land. We give lands to PSUs, and when they are shut down or go out of business, they auction the lands. Such lands should be returned to the government, as we have given them the land. As a state government, we will go to court and stop this and also not give permission to develop these lands,” he said.
The CM said there were several instances where beneficiaries were disposing of land parcels without obtaining the concurrence of the appropriate state authorities. He said state governments should have a say in the utilisation or disposal of such land.