Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Karnataka on Sunday to campaign for the BJP-JD(S) candidates, the Congress has posed a bunch of questions to him related to denial of permissions and funds to irrigation projects, including Mekedatu, and sought answers from him.
Addressing reporters on Saturday, Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda said Karnataka has released an additional 1,000 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu since 2018-19 owing to surplus rainfall in the State, but the Centre has denied permission to the State for construction of balancing reservoir Mekedatu across the river Cauvery for storage of 65 tmcft. The dam was proposed for construction of a hydel power project and cater to the drinking water needs of Bengaluru. The construction of the dam would enable it to store surplus water and help both States during the distress years, he said.
Many petitions submitted
The State government has submitted several petitions seeking clearances from the Centre for the last five years. But the Modi-led government has denied permission and developed “an attitude of hate” towards Karnataka, he said.
The Supreme Court has observed that Karnataka can build any number of projects on the Cauvery basin as long as it adheres to the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. The State has released 490 tmcft more water to Tamil Nadu in 2022-23 against the tribunal’s order of 177.25 tmcft, Mr. Byre Gowda pointed out.
He asked: “Will the Prime Minister assure voters on providing clearances to the Mekedatu project during his rally in Mysuru and Mangaluru on Sunday?”
Upper Bhadra project
He said the Centre had not released ₹5,300 crore to the Upper Bhadra project promised in the Union Budget in 2023-24. The Centre has not released a single rupee till now, he said.
The Centre issued a gazette notification on drawing 13.42 tmcft of water by Karnataka from the inter-State Mahadayi river. But the Centre had not provided clearances for implementing the Kalasa-Banduri nala project, he claimed.
Mr. Byre Gowda asked: “Will Mr. Modi assure voters of Karnataka granting funds and necessary permission to implement irrigation and drinking water projects?”
Issues of delimitation
Under the proposed delimitation of constituencies, the Centre has planned to reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats from five southern States from 129 to 103 and Tamil Nadu has already passed a resolution in the Legislature opposing the Centre’s move, Mr. Byre Gowda said, and demanded clarification on the subject from the Prime Minister. Karnataka has also alleged that “injustice” has been meted out to the State by the Centre in the share of central pool of taxes and drought relief.
