Sonia supportive of drinking water projects: Dharam

Gulbarga, Jun 17 (UNI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi has assured the party leaders from Karnataka that she fully supported drinking water projects and they will be given top priority.

Opposition leader in Karnataka Assembly Dharam Singh today told newspersons after his return from Delhi, where a state Congress delegation met Ms Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, that the Congress was not against the project but BJP had 'politicised' the issue.

''Ms Gandhi and Dr Singh assured us that they will support drinking water projects. Her statement in Goa was blown out of proportion. There had been other inter-state drinking water projects like Telugu Ganga and Kalasa-Banduri was not a problem,'' he said.

Mr Singh said when the delegation met Ms Gandhi, she responded positively and gave an assurance to discuss the matter with the Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz.

The delegation also met Dr Singh and explained to him about the necessity of the Mahadayi river project within the state, he added.

He reiterated the party stand that Congress opposed internal reservation among the backward classes, which was being aggressively initiated by the JD(S) in Karnataka.

''Congress does not favour internal reservations among BCs. The defunct State Backward Commission, which did not have a Chairman or even members, should be constituted immediately. Let this Commission identify the groups for reservation,'' he added.

UNI