Sonia promises to clarify her statement on Mahadai river

New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi today assured to dispel confusion and misapprehensions caused in Karnataka over her statement regarding Mahadai river diversion during Goa elections.

An assurance to this effect was given to a delegation of 57 Congress MLAs from Karnataka who met her under the leadership of Karnataka Pradesh Congress President M Mallikarjuna Kharge and Leader of Opposition N Dharam Singh.

Ms Gandhi's told the delegation that the AICC would be issuing a clarificatory statement and she intended no harm to either Karnataka or Goa.

The party would get the issue 'verified', she added. She also advised the delegation to meet Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz to apprise him of the problems faced by the state.

The delegation apprised her of the Kalasa-Banduri Nala diversion which would use only a portion of the water (little over seven tmcft of water) wasted to sea for drinking water purposes in North-Karnataka towns of Hubli-Dharwar, Kittur, Gadag and Belgaum.

The project had obtained an approval in-principle by the Central Water Commission in April 2002 but was stayed the same year when BJP government was in power at Goa and NDA government at the Centre.

Former Karnataka Chief Secretary B S Patil was asked to speak on behalf of the delegation how an innocuous tiny project was sought to harm the interests of even drinking water while 200 tmcft of water flowed into Arabian Sea not used by Karnataka, Maharashtra or Goa, the lowest riparian state.

Among others, the delegation included former Karnataka Central Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman M Veerappa Moily, AICC General Secretary B K Hariprasad, former Karnataka Ministers Siddaramaiah, H K Patil, H C Srikantaiah and D K Shivakumar.

The delegation will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow.

UNI