‘Govt. has failed in mitigating water crisis’

‘Not one of the 303 proposed drinking water plants set up in Dakshina Kannada’

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa has accused the State government of not initiating enough measures to meet the drinking water requirements in the 134 drought affected taluks of the State.

Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting here on Tuesday, Mr. Eshwarappa said the government has failed miserably in setting up of drinking water plants across 7,000 places in the State.

In the last three years, the State government has set up only 1,400 plants, he said.

In Dakshina Kannada, the State government was to set 303 drinking water plants, he said.

“So far no plants have been set up,” he said.

It was sad to know that the State government was not in a position to pay the agency as advance the 10 per cent of the total cost to start the work,” he added.

Mr. Eshwarappa said contractors executing the multi-village drinking water project in different parts of the state have stopped work because of delay in the State government clearing their dues.

The State government has to pay nearly 2,500 crore to contractors, he said.

Mr. Eshwarappa said 12 teams of BJP legislators are extensively touring the drought affected regions of the State.

Members of all the teams will be meeting B.S. Yeddyurappa after he assumes charge as the party’s State president on April 14 and chalk out ways to fight against the State government’s failure in drought management, he said.