KPCC urges union minister to convene CM's meeting on Mahadayi

Bangalore, Jun 26 (UNI) Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Mallikarjuna Kharge today urged Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz to convene a meeting of both the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Goa on sharing of the contentious Mahadayi river water issue.

Speaking to newspersons here he said the Union minister had promised the Congress delegation from the state which met him at New Delhi recently to convene meeting of both the chief ministers to sort out the issue within couple of days.

He said that 'in-principle' clearance for the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project of the state was stayed by the then NDA government at the centre following opposition expressed by the BJP-led government in Goa in 2002. He said Karnataka required only 7.56 tmc of water in Mahadayi river out of its total 148 tmc of water to provide drinking water to Hubli-Dharwar, Naragund and Navalgund and other parts of Belgaum district.

Mr Kharge recalled that the delegation, which had met UPA chairperson Smt Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh, had convinced them that the state was constructing Kalasa-Banduri irrigation project only to meet drinking water requirements. The Prime Minister had also instructed Mr Saifuddin Soz to look into the issue, he noted.

UNI