KPCC urges Union Minister to convene CMs meeting on Mahadayi

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

Talking to newspersons here, he said the Union Minister had promised the Congress delegation from the State, which met him in New Delhi recently, to convene a meeting of both the Chief Ministers to sort out the issue within a couple of days.

Mr Kharge said '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. Karnataka required only 7.56 tmc of water from Mahadayi river out of its total 148 tmc to provide drinking water to Hubli-Dharwad, Naragund, Navalgund and other parts of Belgaum district.

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

UNI