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Mekedatu dam row: Siddaramaiah leads all-party delegation to PM

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New Delhi/Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah led an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre’s “cooperation” for implementing the Mekedatu dam project in his state, which is being opposed by neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

“We sought support from the Government of India to go ahead with the project,” Siddaramaiah told reporters outside Parliament House after meeting Modi.

Terming Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the project as “politically motivated”, he stressed that interests of the neighbouring state would not be affected by this project.

“We are planning to construct a dam across the Cauvery river, which is in our territory. This project will not affect the interest of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu people’s opposition to the project is politically motivated,” he said.

Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka was releasing 192 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu as per the award of the tribunal and asserted that construction of hydro electric project was “within the rights of Karnataka”.

Asked about Modi’s response, Siddaramaiah said, “Prime Minister has not given any assurance. He said that he would examine it.”

The Karnataka chief minister also urged Modi to convene a meeting of chief ministers to discuss about making respective regional languages as medium of instruction in primary schools.

Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda, MPs including senior BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge were also present during the meeting.

The Karnataka all-party delegation’s meeting with Modi comes in the wake of Tamil Nadu chief minister O Pannerselvam and opposition parties from the state calling on the Prime Minister separately over the issue recently.

Siddaramaiah in his budget speech, presented on March 13, has proposed preparing a detailed project report for construction of balancing reservoir on the upstream of Mekedatu across the Cauvery river.

(Agencies)

Mekadatu project: Karnataka bandh from dawn-to-dusk

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Bengaluru: Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada organizations on Saturday to protest Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the Mekedatu drinking water project is expected to be total. Public transport, including KSRTC and BMTC buses, autorickshaws and cabs will be off the roads.

The bandh will be in force from 6am to 6pm.

Educational institutions and business establishments, including petrol bunks, restaurants and cinemas, in Bengaluru and neighbouring districts are likely to remain closed.

Nearly 700 organisations across the State have backed the call. Transportation is likely to be affected severely. While auto-rickshaws will stay off the roads in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Mandya, Hassan, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara districts among others, the KSRTC and BMTC have decided to maintain skeletal service. However, essential services such as ambulances, pharmacies, supply of milk and vegetables will not be affected.

A senior minister told reporters here on Friday that chief minister Siddaramaiah is keen that the bandh is a success as he wants to send a message that nothing will come in the way of the Mekedatu project, aimed at providing drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring districts.

This year’s state budget has set aside Rs 25 crore for the balancing reservoir to be constructed on the upstream of Mekadatu across Cauvery river in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district.

(Agencies)

Karnataka firm on Mekedatu project, says CM Siddaramaiah

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Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the State Government was committed to implementing the Mekedatu dam project proposed across the Cauvery river in Ramanagaram district.

He would convene an all-party meeting to discus the project and lead a delegation to Delhi to appraise the Centre of the necessity of the project for Karnataka, Mr. Siddaramaiah said during his reply to the debate on the State Budget.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said Rs. 25 crore had been set aside for preparing a detailed project report. The project was conceived to meet the drinking water needs of people residing in the parched districts around Bengaluru. It would act as a balancing reservoir and harness water flowing into the sea.

“There is no politics in Krishna and Cauvery waters. We are building the Mekedatu dam within our state, they (TN) will not have any problem from it, and we know how to face this legally,” the Chief Minister said.

Tamil Nadu observed a bandh on Saturday opposing the plan for the Mekadatu project this side of the border.

The Opposition parties-backed state-wide farmers’ bandh over the Mekedatu dam row, though the state government has distanced itself from it.

The bandh call is to press the Centre to rein in Karnataka from going ahead with its proposed plan build a dam at Mekedatu and to urge it to set up the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority.

Affiliated trade unions of eight state-run transport corporations of these parties, traders’ associations, retailers, vegetable traders and sand lorry operators are among those who had expressed support for the shutdown.

(Agencies)

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