Rs 85 cr released for Bhadra Canal modernisation: Minister

Davanagere, Karnataka, Nov 21 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has released Rs 85 crore for modernisation of Bhadra Canal, Sugar Minister S A Ravindranath said today.

Talking to newspersons at Honalli, 50 km from here, he said the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition Government was according top priority to irrigation projects. ''The Government has decided to take up Upper Bhadra Project only after completion of Bhadra modernisation work,'' he added.

He said Rs 471 crore had been earmarked for the modernisation work and the amount would be released in a phased manner.

Mr Ravindranath said Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had convened a meeting of sugarcane growers tomorrow in Bangalore to fix minimum support price for sugarcane.

The Minister alleged that agitation by sugarcane growers in Belgaum was at the behest of the management of two sugar factories, which have not yet started crushing. He appealed to the striking farmers to come to the negotiating table.

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