Vatal Nagaraj, 400 activists held near Kalsa site

Belagavi: Pro-Kannada leader Vatal Nagaraj’s efforts to demolish the sealing structures at Kalsa nala in Kankumbi did not materialise as the police arrested him along with 400 of his supporters who were on their way to Kankumbi on Monday afternoon.

Following Mr Vatal's threat to demolish the sealing structures, Belagavi police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in all areas surrounding Kankumbi, where the site of Kalsa-Banduri project is located, since Sunday evening. A massive police force was deployed in and around Kankumbi since Saturday to prevent any damage to Kalsa nala by Mr Vatal and his supporters. Instead of entering Belagavi from Hubbali to reach Kankumbi along with his supporters, Vatal took a different route via Kittur and Parishwad from Hubballi to reach Kankumbi Friday afternoon. The police intercepted the group at Parishwad Cross and stopped all vehicles heading to Kankumbi with Mr Vatal. Vatal and his supporters were arrested at 3.30 pm and released near Kittur at 5.30 pm. Soon after the release, all his supporters and Vatal launched a dharna on National Highway near Kittur blocking the traffic at both ends. Vatal is demanding implementation of Kalsa-Banduri project and threatened to destroy sealing structures of Kalsa if the project is delayed. Ever since, Goa government alerted Chief Minister Siddarmaiah to take measures to prevent any damage to Kalsa nala in wake of threats by various organisations in Karnataka, last month, the Belagavi district administration and police officials are on high alert providing security to Kalsa nala.
 

Shettar: BJP not trying to score brownie points

Under fire from leaders of the Congress party for politicising the Kalsa-Banduri issue, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar has defended himself saying the BJP was not trying to score brownie points but had been trying to implement the Kalsa-Banduri project for the last several years. Speaking to reporters at the inauguration of Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Cooperative Credit Society in Belagavi, Mr Shettar said, the previous  BJP government headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa got the Kalsa-Banduri project launched by releasing Rs 100 crore funds in an attempt to help people of dry areas of north-Karnataka avoid water scarcity. Unfortunately, the Kalsa-Banduri issue was dragged to the Mahadayi tribunal due to the Congress government's failure. The BJP wants the government to submit an interim application to Mahadayi Water Tribunal seeking the release of 7.5 tmc of water from Mandovi to Malaprabha river, he said.  

The former CM urged Siddaramaiah to waive all loans availed by farmers to prevent the continuing spree of suicides and said he had waived farmer loans during his tenure as CM. “Unfortunately, the families of only 120 farmers of the 600 who committed suicide have been given compensation by the government till now,” he said.