Centre should intervene and stop Hogenakal project:BJP

Bangalore, Apr 1 (UNI) BJP in Karnataka today demanded the Union government to stay the 'illegal' drinking water and hydro-electric project taken up by Tamil Nadu at the Hogenakal falls area in the inter-state border.

Speaking to newspersons at Rajbhavan, where a BJP delegation went to submit a memorandum to the Governor to seek the Central relief for damages caused by unseasonal rains, BJP General Secreatry Ananta Kumar said, "Tamil Nadu has started an illegal project across Cauvery river at Hogenakal which belongs to Karnataka." He said It was an 'illegal act' of the TN government as Hogenakal was within the borders of Karnataka, while the river water sharing dispute was not yet resolved as the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal's (CWDT) final verdict is being questioned in the Supreme Court.

He alleged that the TN government had not told the CWDT anything about the Rs 1500-crore project, while it also chose to ignore the two letters written by Karnataka government in this regard. The Tamil Nadu government had not taken permission from the Water Resources Ministry or the Central Water Commission.

"Under these circumstances it will be illegal and against the national democratic set up to take up such illegal projects. Tamil Nadu government should respect the sentiments of the people of the neighbouring states and honour the border demarcations," he said.

It is regrettable that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was giving provoking statements and the Centre had turned a blind eye to the serious issue.

He alleged that the UPA government, during the last four years, had continuously taken an 'anti-Karnataka' stance. This included issues like the Hogenakal dispute, giving classical status to Kannada language, implementation of railway projects, railway recruitment and the affidavit filed on the Belgaum issue, he said.

"We demand that the Union government intervene in in the Hogenakal issue immediately and order for stoppage of this illegal project," he said.

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