With the State delegation still not getting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appointment regarding the inter-State row over sharing of Mahadayi river waters, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has convened a meeting of all-party leaders and MPs on August 23 to decide on the next course of action.
Mr. Siddaramaiah announced the decision after a meeting with representatives of farmers’ leaders and politicians from North Karnataka, who are protesting against the delay in resolving the inter-State dispute. The Chief Minister said Floor leaders of both Houses of the State legislature and all MPs from the State will be invited to the meeting.
“It has been more than fifteen days since I wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking an appointment. As there was no response, I have also spoken twice to the Union Ministers from Karnataka, Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda. The Water Resources Minister has even visited Delhi to meet the authorities concerned,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
Taking exception to the delay in giving appointment, he said: “There is a dire need for the Prime Minister to respond to such issues in a federal system.”
Stating that the Mahadayi and Kalasa-Banduri projects were as important as the Cauvery and Krishna river schemes for the government, he appealed to the religious leaders, politicians and farmers to drop their protest on the Mahadayi issue.
Mr. Siddaramaiah appealed to all the political parties not to give wrong information on Mahadayi issue to the public.
There is a dire need for the Prime Minister to respond to such issues in a federal system
