Internal Reservations should be scientific: Eshwarappa

Bangalore, May 7 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is committed to separate internal reservation for Other Backward Communities (OBCs) as demanded by the Janata Dal (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, but it should be done in a scientific manner, senior BJP leader and Water Resources Minister K S Eshwarappa said today.

Addressing a press conference here he said he had received two letters from the former Prime Minister, including that on providing internal reservation to OBCs in the state. ''The BJP as a political party has called for providing internal reservation for OBCs applicable to all states. There is no ambiguity on the issue,'' he said.

A coordination committee meeting of JD(S) and the BJP was expected to be held shortly and the issue raised by former Prime Minister would be discussed at length, he added.

Mr Gowda had written separate letters to all the BJP ministers to ensure sharing of power at the grassroots level between the workers of the two parties. Anomalies found in the issue raised by Mr Gowda would be taken care of for the smooth-sailing of the coalition government in the state, he said.

Replying to queries Mr Eshwarappa said, the Karnataka Accountant General had suggested winding up of the 'Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigama Ltd' (KBJNL) as it was a burden on the exchequer. However, the government had taken a decision not to wind it up till the completion of all the on-going projects undertaken in the Krishna Basin.

Instead of closing it down, the state government would take measures to strengthen it further to complete all the Irrigation projects under its belt for the benefit of farmers in Northern Karnataka region, he said.

The minister differed with state Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's observation that the state had failed to meet the target of creation of irrigational potential, although heavy investment was made. ''Last year the state irrigation department had completed over 39 on-going irrigation projects in time and achieved the target,'' he said.

The state irrigation department had identified over 19 projects this year to complete and spend over Rs 265 crore for the purpose.

It also had plans to rejuvenate all the tanks that came under Cauvery basin and earmarked Rs 600 crore for the purpose. Desilting, re-modeling and expansion works would be taken up in 1262 tanks, he added.

UNI