CM to hold all party meeting on Hogenakkal project

Bangalore, Jul 21 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said he would convene an all party meeting on July 23 to discuss Hogenakkal project in Tamil Nadu.

Intervening during Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly, Mr Yeddyurappa said he would hold a meeting with the leaders of all parties to discuss not only the project but also other issues like shortage of power, fertilisers and drought-like situation in the state.

He said he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding the Hogenakkal issue after he became the Chief Minister to pressurise the Centre to stop Tamil Nadu from going ahead with the drinking water project.

The Chief Minister said he had urged the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of the Chief Ministers to solve the inter-state water disputes focussing on national interest above the regional interests in the water sharing during his meeting with Dr Singh.

Earlier, energy minister K S Eshwarappa in his reply to the query by Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli of Congress said the state government was committed and would do everything to protect the interest of the people of the state.

Terming the project ''illegal,'' he urged the Centre to stop Tamil Nadu immediately from taking up the project across the Cauvery river.

UNI SIV TS SB HT1642