Mangaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Center has given its nod for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Kalasa Banduri Nala Project.
“This is a victory for the people of North Karnataka who have been fighting for this project for about 4 decades. As soon as we get the copy of the order, we will invite tender and initiate the works,” Bommai told reporters at Belagavi.
The green signal for the DPR has come at a time when the assembly election is just a few months away in Karnataka.
On Thursday morning Bommai briefed the Assembly about the Central government approving the DPR and thanked the Union Government, Prime Minister, and Union Ministers, and also the Ministers of Karnataka for this.
“In 1988, my father, SR Bommai who was the Chief Minister then had an agreement with the then chief minister of Goa. Subsequent governments in Goa opposed it and the project was not implemented,” Bommai went down memory lane.
The project which was initially planned to divert the Mahadayi River was later changed to the Kalasa Banduri drinking water project.
“It became an interstate water dispute. In 2009 during the Goa election, Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi stated that not one drop of water would be allowed to divert. However, when Eshwarappa was the irrigation minister, BS Yediyurappa was the deputy Chief minister, and HD Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister, it was decided to start work in non-forest areas. Yediyurappa stood strongly in support of the project and laid the foundation stone,” Bommai said. But the work did not continue.
“When I took charge as the irrigation minister, the tender was invited and work on the inter-linking channel was done. But the government which came to power later did not do anything. By then Goa went to the Supreme Court and the Manmohan Singh-led government formed a tribunal. Finally, the tribunal permitted diversion and notification was also issued. Now the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has displayed the commitment and our DPR has got the green signal,” he added.
The DPR has been prepared and approved keeping in mind the environment and inter-state issues. Aspects of hydrology and interstate disputes have also been cleared in the DPR.
“Our path is smooth and as soon as the order of the DPR is received, tenders will be called and the work will be started,” the CM added.
He thanked all those who supported Karnataka’s cause and the farmers who have been fighting for this.
The CM also declared to take all measures to withdraw the cases registered against the farmers who were involved in the agitation demanding the project.
