Reiterating that he would hold an all-party meeting on Mekedatu balancing reservoir project within a week, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said he would visit Delhi soon after the ongoing legislature session to convince the Central authorities about the need to give clearance to the Detailed Project Report on Mekedatu.
“I will make efforts to get clearance for the DPR soon after the legislature session,” the Chief Minister told the Legislative Assembly.
Responding to the views of the Opposition Congress that he should have condemned the statement of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat who referred to Mekedatu as a “contentious” project and advised that Karnataka and Tamil Nadu should hold resolve the issue through talks, the Chief Minister said he had clearly indicated the State’s stand to the Centre.
“I was not at the venue where the Union Minister made the statement. But I clarified through media that the option of trying to resolve the issue through dialogue was not before us,” he said.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and Congress leader H. K. Patil argued that the Chief Minister should have written to the Centre, condemning the Union Jal Shakti Minister’s reference to Mekedatu as contentious project.
Mr. Siddaramaiah argued that there was no legal problem in Karnataka to taking up the Mekedatu project as the Supreme Court has already prescribed the water share of all the riparian States. “It is enough if we ensure Tamil Nadu’s due share of 177.75 tmcft of water,” he said.
Pointing out that 582 tmcft of water had flown to Tamil Nadu from Karnataka in the last seven years in excess of its allocated share, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Mekedatu balancing reservoir was needed to regulate the flow.
