Former Prime Minister and Lok Sabha member H.D. Deve Gowda has said he will write to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the drinking water requirements of Hassan district. If there was no satisfying reply from the CM, he would then stage a dharna in front of the CM’s residence in Bengaluru, he said at a press conference here on Tuesday.
The State government started releasing water from Yagachi reservoir to Hassan only after the JD(S) staged a dharna in Hassan. “It is because of our protest that people residing in 12 wards of the City Municipal Council are getting water from Yagachi reservoir. I will write to the CM detailing the drinking water crisis and necessary measures to address the problem in the district,” he said.
He added that he had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take part in the launch of Hassan-Bengaluru train services, expected to be held in March. “I have extended an invitation. I don’t know if he will accept. I have also requested the Centre to include Hassan on the list of cities chosen to be developed as smart cities,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Deve Gowda held a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting. Hassan Zilla Panchayat president Shwetha Devaraj, Chief Executive Officer R. Venkatesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner V. Chaitra, MLAs and officers attended the meeting.
