MYSURU: Karnataka Chief minister DK Shivakumar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project and expedite all statutory clearances for the project to be built across the Cauvery river.
This comes days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Mekedatu dam DPR approvals without the consent of the lower riparian state.
Addressing during the inauguration of CoSMOS – Centre of Space and Modern Optical Sciences in Mysuru in the presence of the PM, the CM placed three key demands before the Centre and urged the need for cooperation between the Union and State governments to address critical developmental challenges.
Referring to the Mekedatu project, Shivakumar said the Supreme Court had already delivered its verdict on the project and that the legal position was settled. He urged the Centre to grant the final statutory clearances to enable the drinking water project to move forward without further delay.
Raising concerns over primary education and migration to urban centres, the CM said economic migration for education and employment was leading to a significant shift in population patterns.
Citing statistics, he said migration for education and work had increased from 31% in 2002 to 47% in 2026 and could touch 70% over the next two decades if the trend continued.
To address this challenge, he requested the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to issue advisories aligning corporate CSR initiatives with Karnataka’s Corporate Social Responsibility guidelines.
This, he said, would help upgrade 1,000 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools and strengthen the public education system.
On the occasion, Shivakumar said COSMOS will add a new scientific landmark to Mysuru, a city renowned for its heritage, knowledge and culture. He thanked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for bringing the project to Mysuru.
“If Bharat Vann nurtures the future of our planet, COSMOS will nurture the future of our young minds,” he said, drawing a parallel between the Miyawaki-based Bharat Vann initiative and the new science facility.
He said a developed India needed both a greener planet and a generation of scientific thinkers. The inauguration of COSMOS was not merely about opening a planetarium but about giving wings to curiosity and providing a new direction to young minds, he said.
“India’s rockets may rise from launch pads, but the ideas, engineering and scientific talent behind many of these missions have deep roots in Karnataka,” he said.