: Senior Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary has called upon Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop forthwith the Yettinahole Diversion project as it does not meet the water required for parched regions of the State and causes extensive damage to eco sensitive Western Ghats.
“There is no point calling a meeting of legislators and officials of the region on this (Yettinahole),” Mr. Poojary said of the meeting called by Chief Minister in Bengaluru on October 19.
“He (Siddaramaiah) knows this project is not viable. Ministers and legislators know that water available for diversion is less than one tmcft of water. They also know extensive damage this project will do to Dakshina Kannada.”
People are questioning the State government’s move to go ahead with the project, he said.
“Let him (Siddaramaiah) ignore my tirade against the project. I am nobody,” but, “why can’t he understand feelings of people.” It was primary duty of the State Government to respond to concerns expressed by people and stop the project. By going ahead with the project, the State Government was not only cheating people of parched regions but also those from Dakshina Kannada, he told reporters on Friday.
Mr. Poojary said he has given detailed presentation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi about the Yettinahole diversion and she was convinced that it was not viable, he said. Criticising Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda for his silence on the project, Mr. Poojary said Mr. Gowda should not forget he comes from Puttur. “You (Mr. Gowda) should give credence to views of expressed by your own MP (Nalin Kumar Kateel who has openly opposed the project),” he said.
Visit to temple
Earlier, Mr. Poojary and few devotees rolled on the premises of Gokarnanatheshwara Temple on the occasion of Mangaluru Dasara celebrated at the temple. He then prayed the deity to bless region with rain. Mr. Poojary also prayed for better senses to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for stopping the Yettinahole project and also for resolution of Mahadayi Water dispute.
‘Primary duty of the government is to respond to the concerns expressed by people’
‘State government is cheating not only people of parched regions but also of Dakshina Kannada’
