Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil on Thursday told the Legislative Assembly that the government would soon hold a meeting of Floor leaders of both the Houses of the legislature with the State’s legal team head F.S. Nariman and legal experts, to finalise the State’s stand with respect to the clarification issued by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT II).
Replying to the discussion on the impact of the final award of the KWDT II, Mr. Patil said former irrigation Ministers would also be invited to the meeting.
Pointing out that the State had sought clarification from the tribunal on 12 issues, he said he had not disclosed the government’s views on specific issues as it was not proper to comment till the matter was discussed with the legal team. Declaring that the government would take all legal measures to protect the State’s water rights, he said the meeting would also look into the issue of reduced water allocation to the State.
R & RHe assured the House that the government would expedite the process of Rehabilitation and Resettlement. He said a high-power committee, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which had been constituted to monitor the rehabilitation and resettlement process to set the stage for increasing the height of the Alamatti dam to 524.256 m, would hold its first meeting in Bangalore on December 12. The committee comprised Ministers for Water Resources, Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, IT, Law, PWD, Health and Municipal Administration. He said the R & R process was estimated to cost Rs. 4,389.92 crore as 10 wards and 22 villages of Bagalkote and Bijapur districts would get submerged when the dam height is increased. The government had taken up nine sub-schemes under Upper Krishna Project Stage-3, he said.
