'Instead of politicising Mahadayi, ensure implementation': Poojary

Mangalore, June 6 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member B Janardhan Poojary today urged that instead of politicizing the Mahadayi river diversion project issue, the JD(S)-BJP coalition government in Karnataka should ensure its implementation.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that the coalition government had failed to convince an all party meeting on the issue.

"We should go together and put pressure on the centre for speedy implementation of the project." Mr Poojary asserted that it was Congress government which proposed the Mahadayi river diversion project when Mr H K Patil was the Irrigation Minister. But the then NDA government put stay on the project. However, the present coalition government had once again taken up the project, but the work was not progressing at the expected speed.

He said that the state government had also failed to convince the Central Environmental Ministry in clearing the project.

Reacting to the allegations by the BJP leaders targeting the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he said that she had never opposed providing Mahadayi water to North Karnataka. "Let us all bring pressure on the centre and Ms Gandhi on the project. Ms.

Gandhi had never made any attempt of harming the interests of Karnataka.

UNI