Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'condemning the statement made by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the issue of the Mekedatu reservoir project.'
He also urged PM Modi to take necessary steps to ensure clearance for the Mekedatu project at the earliest.
In the letter, Siddaramaiah mentioned the remarks made by Jal Shakti Minister on February 5 which stated, "I hope and wish that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will resolve it, like how Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh did it. The two states have now agreed to connect Ken and Betwa rivers in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh."
"Any issue can be resolved if talks are held. The Centre can only facilitate and help technically, and for that, both states have to come forward," the minister said.
The Congress leader said that these remarks have hurt the sentiments of the people of Kamataka who are patiently waiting for the Central government to give environmental clearance for the project.
"We were hoping the 'Double Engine' government will add speed to the realization of aspirations of people, but in reality, both the engines have seized to pull the State to a better today," the letter read.
Condemning these statements, he said that the remarks are "politically motivated" to make inroads to Tamil Nadu and an attempt to mislead the people of Karnataka.
He said that Karnataka has technical, moral, and legal rights to access excess water after releasing the rightful share of Tamil Nadu.
"About 60-70 TMC of excess water flows to Tamil Nadu every year from Cauvery basin in Karnataka, which otherwise, can be judiciously used to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding districts," Siddaramaiah stated.
Further, he said that the Mekedatu reservoir will serve the best purpose in storing this excess water and also generate 400 MW of electricity and Tamil Nadu is using the Cauvery issue just for political masons.
Slamming the Centre over Mekedatu project, he said, "it is clear that your government at the Centre has failed to grant necessary clearances and the State government has failed to enlighten the urgency of the project."
"I strongly condemn Jal Shakti minister's statement and strongly urge you to discuss the issue in the cabinet to make your colleagues understand the rights of Karnataka, to grant all the clearances at the earliest to implement the Mekedatu project and to allocate additional funds for all the pending irrigation projects," he added.
The Mekedatu balancing reservoir-cum drinking water project, to be constructed across the Cauvery river basin, has been at the centre of controversy between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
( With inputs from ANI )
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