'39 irrigation projects to be completed'

Bangalore, June 28 : Karnataka Water Resources Minister K S Eswarappa today assured the State Assembly that 39 long pending projects in various river basins in the State would be completed this year.

Replying to supplementaries during question hour, he said Rs 1,042 crore had been earmarked for the purpose and the Government would closely monitor work on these projects so that some of them were completed before this fiscal.

Leader of the Opposition N Dharam Singh asked the Government to enhance fund allocation to the irrigation projects, especially in the upper Krishna project, and avoid any further delay. His Government had on a priority basis increased the allocation by Rs 900 crore last year. Some of the projects such as Karanja, which was taken up way back in 1970 at an estimated cost of Rs nine crore, was still incomplete and the cost had spiralled to over Rs 700 crore, he added.

He urged the Government to fill the posts, which had fallen vacant following the suspension of some erring officials, so that work did not suffer.

Mr Eswarappa assured the members that the Government would in the right earnest ensure that there was no time slippage in the implementation of irrigation projects.

UNI