Irrigation Ministers meet: K’taka to raise Mekedatu, Mahadayi issues, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Feb 18 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said he will take up the issues of Mekedatu, Mahadayi, Navali, and dam repair projects at the meeting of all irrigation ministers in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, before departing for Rajasthan, briefed the media on Tuesday morning. “A national conference of irrigation ministers is taking place in Rajasthan, where all state irrigation ministers have been invited. At this meeting, I will bring up the injustices faced by our state regarding irrigation matters,” he stated.
“I will discuss the approvals for the Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects and the injustices related to the Upper Bhadra Project. In addition, this year, we have prepared and submitted several other irrigation project proposals to the central government,” Shivakumar said.
“After the crest gate repairs of the Tungabhadra dam, we have prepared a proposal for the repair and safety of all dams in the state and submitted it to the Central government. Regarding the construction of a parallel reservoir at Navali for this reservoir, discussions will be held with the ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. I have already written to the chief ministers of both states to arrange a separate meeting on this matter,” he added.
When asked about BJP’s criticism that funds for schemes like Anna Bhagya (free rice scheme) and Gruha Laxmi (Rs 2,000 incentive for woman head of family) have not reached beneficiaries and that the government’s treasury is empty, Shivakumar responded, “All these claims are false. Resource mobilization does not happen in a single day. It takes place step by step, and everything will be in order by the end of the financial year. There is no financial crisis in the government; we are economically strong.”
“Rice under Anna Bhagya is reaching the people. Except for the media and opposition parties, the general public has no dissatisfaction on this matter. People are happy with the scheme and trust us. Payments that were pending for two to three months will be released this month,” he clarified.
The State Water Ministers Conference, scheduled for February 18th -19th in Udaipur, is themed ‘India@2047 – A Water Secure Nation’. It aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed, water-secure India. This vision emphasises the importance of sustainable water management to support agriculture, industry, and domestic use while preserving our rivers and ecosystems for future generations, a government press release said.
–IANS
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