K'taka: Cong to plea Soz on Kalsa-Bandori proj

Bangalore, Jun 22: A delegation from Karnataka Congress will meet Union Water Resources minister Mr Saifuddin Soz on the contentious Kalsa-Bandori drinking water project and seek immediate relief on the Union Government's stay on 'in-principle' clearance given to the project earlier, KPCC president Mallikarjuna Kharge informed here today.

Addressing newspersons here today Mr Kharge announced that a delegation of senior Congress leaders would meet Mr Soz to convince him about the importance of the drinking water project.

He said that the project proposal was prepared by the previous Congress government in the state to meet the drinking water needs of the parts of Dharwad, Haveri and Belgaum districts in Northern Karnataka.

The previous NDA government which had accorded in-principle clearance for the project however issued a stay on it following objections raised by the then BJP-led state government in Goa.

He alleged that the BJP leaders in the state were trying to politics the issue and blame the Congress party for the delay in the execution of the project, Mr Kharge said that "they themselves were the culprits but pointing finger on others" he chided.

Mr Kharge also informed that Congress leaders in the state also had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and briefed them about the project and removed misgivings.

Prime Minister also assured to talk with Union Water Resources Minister on the issue, Mr Kharge said.

UNI