BJP State president Pralhad Joshi, MP, has said his party would join the delegation if the State government takes a delegation of MPs from the State to prevail upon the Union government to clear the Kalasa Banduri Nala project.
Visit
He was speaking to presspersons after visiting the project site at Kanakumbi in Khanapur taluk of Belgaum district on Friday.
Earlier, accompanied by MP Suresh Angadi, Hubli Dharwad MLA Aravind Bellad, former MLAs Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, Seema Masuti, and Pralhad Rehmani, and BJP leader Lingaraj Patil, he visited various places on the project site including the Mavuli Temple.
Not politicising
Clarifying the visit was not intended to politicise the issue, he said, “We are not here to take political mileage out of the issue. During the BJP governance in the State, Rs. 100 crore was released for the project and we are here to know the actual status of the work.”.
Mr. Joshi said officials had told him they planned to complete the project by May 2014, and if the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the tribunal set up to look into water disputes between Goa and Karnataka gave permission, the State would get 1.5 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water from the Kalasa project.
This would help in meeting drinking water needs, he stressed.
“However if the project is not completed by May, we will have to take the path of agitation,” he said.
Clear hurdles
The BJP State chief said the party was willing to join any delegation aimed at clearing hurdles for getting Karnataka’s water share.
Mr. Joshi told reporters work on 450 metres that lie in the non-forest area was remaining of the entire project.
However, clearance from the CWC and the tribunal was required to draw the 1.5 tmcft of water through the project, he said.
