BENGALURU: Former PM and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda on Sunday urged all political parties in the state to include the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project in their manifestos for the LS polls.
He condemned DMK’s opposition to the Mekedatu project in its manifesto. The project is essential for Karnataka to ease its drinking water shortage, especially in Bengaluru, he said.
Gowda said the project will help both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. On TN Chief Minister MK Stalin’s statement opposing the Mekedatu project, he said it will in no way affect the people of that state. “After the polls, all parties in the state should fight together for the implementation of the project. We will include Mekedatu in the JDS manifesto. Let the Congress, which is in alliance with DMK, announce the same in its manifesto,” he said.
Gowda said CM Siddaramaiah had announced in his budget speech that his government will implement several projects, including Mekedatu. “Let me alone not take the credit for taking up the Mekedatu issue. Let all three parties -- BJP, Congress and JDS -- announce in their manifestos, and we all will work together to implement the project,” he said.
Reiterating that the project will help TN, Gowda referred to the admission of TN counsel Shekar Apade in the civil appeal to consider building a dam across the Cauvery to solve the drinking water problem in that state.
The former PM said there is no need to politicise Mekedatu as it is a people-oriented project. Nine districts in the Cauvery basin are in distress. “I am appealing to all parties to support the project. The claim that 5,000 acres of land will be submerged if the project is implemented is not true. Experts should clear all doubts in this regard,” he said.
BJP-JDS alliance doing fine: Gowda
Former PM Deve Gowda said the BJP-JDS alliance is doing fine and both parties have no issues with regard to sharing of seats for the elections. “Along with former CM HD Kumaraswamy and JDS state president GT Devegowda, BJP has included my name in the list of star campaigners. Kumaraswamy is back home from hospital. Dr CN Manjunath, the alliance candidate for Bengaluru Rural, will campaign extensively,” he said.
