Kumaraswamy blames Centre on neglect of Karnataka

Bangalore, May 13 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today accused the Centre of neglecting various demands of the State for the last 58 years.

Participating in a meet-the-press programme of the Bangalore Reporters Guild on the occasion of the JD(S)-BJP Coalition government completing 100 days, he said that he would soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and convince him about the need for centre to intervene on various issues facing the State.

Mr Kumarswamy said that the Centre had stayed work on the Kalasa Banduri Nala project for providing drinking water to north Karnataka, while it had cleared such drinking water projects in other states without any hindrance.

On the Cauvery river water dispute, he ruled out starting a fresh dialogue with the neighbouring states to resolve the row amicably, stating that the issue had gone far beyond that stage.

Referring to Hyderabad bagging the multi crore fab city project, he said that the project would have come to the Karnataka had the Government offered necessary land around Bangalore. However the Government was keen on dispersal of Industry to ensure all-round development of the state and hence offered 1500 acres of land near Nanjangud with adequate water facility. But the promoters were not interested, he added.

He appealed to industrialists and IT companies to set up their projects in other cities and states as Bangalore was already overcrowded.

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