The State unit vice-president of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), G.C. Bayya Reddy, has demanded a separate irrigation minister for the central Karnataka region in order to expedite water projects in the parched region.
A ‘Bayaluseeme Neeravari Nigam’, on the lines of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam and Krishna Jala Bhagya Neeravari Nigam, should be established for the purpose, he said at a meeting to discuss the problems being faced by farmers in drought-hit Kolar district here recently.
These measures were necessary so that attention could be accorded to solve the severe water problem in the districts of the central Karnataka, he said. As the work on the Yettinahole project had been launched, the government should contemplate appointing a separate irrigation minister for the region and setting up an irrigation corporation to ensure time-bound implementation of schemes, he said.
This assumed importance as farmers in the region had started committing suicide as they were unable to bear mounting debts — for which the lack of water was one of the major reasons, he said.
An integrated plan to rejuvenate tanks in Kolar and Chickballapur districts should be chalked out, Mr. Reddy said. Representatives of various farmers’ and farm labourers’ organisations, who participated in the discussion, criticised the absence of people’s representatives, including MLAs, MLCs and the MP, at the meet. “This reflects their apathy towards people’s problems,” they said.
KPRS district unit president P.R. Suryanarayan, general secretary T.M. Venkatesh, taluk leader Gangamma and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader Srinivasa Gowda were present.