BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress leaders are trying to mislead voters by making baseless allegations. Rubbishing All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala’s allegations that Rs 702 crore was spent on an irrigation project without any sanction, Bommai said, “The payment of Rs 702 crore without any sanction which Surjewala is pointing out was in fact undertaken during 2018 in the coalition government period when DK Shivakumar was the minister for water resources.”
Taking to a social media platform, Bommai said that the Congress is making baseless allegations which are contrary to facts and actually would backfire on the party itself. He said the payments were made over and above authorisation by the Congress government during 2013-18 and in 2018-2019 during the coalition government.
“Payment made during 2013-18 over and above the authorisation; Ghataprabha Rs 880.66 crore and Singataluru Lift Irrigation Scheme Rs 369.38 crore,” the chief minister added.
Bommai said the revised estimate of the Upper Tunga Project (UTP) amounting to Rs 3,395.02 crore was submitted during 2018-19. As UTP was getting financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme of the Government of India, the revised estimate was to be cleared by the Central Water Commission. He asked the Congress leader to check his facts before blaming the government.