Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra has said that construction of canal under the Upper Bhadra Project has started at Ajjampura in Chikmagalur district and in Chitradurga district.
He told presspersons here on Sunday that permission had been granted for constructing a canal under the project in Tumkur district.
He said the foundation stone for the Yettinahole project would be laid in Chickballapur on January 31. Tender had been called for the first phase work, expected to cost Rs. 3,800 crore. The detailed project report would be prepared with the help of the Irrigation Ministry, he said.
Mr. Jayachandra said modernisation of the Hemavati canal would start in the second week of February.
The Minister said the State government had earmarked Rs. 50,000 crore for irrigation projects for five years.
To the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s statement that the Congress government in the State had not implemented any of irrigation project, Mr. Jayachandra said the Janata Dal (Secular) leader must stop criticising the government and join legislators of respective constituencies and help them in the implementation of irrigation projects in dryland areas.
To a question on selection of candidate for the Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency, he said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, who was from the district, would decide on the issue.
He said the Congress would win the Lok Sabha elections under the guidance of the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
