Reiterating that the Congress government is determined in protecting the interests of the State, Minister for Medium and Major Irrigation M.B. Patil has said that the government will decide on filing a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging the final award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal within 10 days.
Speaking to presspersons after participating in the Republic Day programme here on Sunday, he said that the government was studying all aspects before taking a final decision.
Stating that a delegation, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had had a meeting with senior advocate Fali Nariman to elicit a legal opinion, Mr. Patil said that the floor leaders of the two Houses of the legislature had also discussed the issue.
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“The government is aware that people have raised objections against the final award stating that several aspects of the award were against the interests of the State. Considering this, the government is studying the details by collecting the opinion of legal and irrigation experts before filing the review petition. We still have time till February 26 to file the petition,” he said.
About the Andhra Pradesh government filing a petition before the Supreme Court against the award, the Minister said that the State government was fully aware of the grounds on which the Andhra Pradesh government has filed the petition. “We are taking all steps to make sure that the people of the State are not denied their right to the Krishna waters,” he said.
About the other irrigation projects in the State, he said that the government had spent Rs. 4,500 crore, mainly on lift irrigation projects in Bijapur and Bagalkot districts coming under the Upper Krishna Project Stage III.
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Mr. Patil said that in a few days, administrative approval will be given for pond-filling projects — Mamadapur, Begum Talab and Bhutanal — to be taken up at a cost of Rs. 172 crore.
Administrative approval will also be given for the Rs. 2,500-crore Tubachi-Babaleshwar micro irrigation project. Later, tenders will be called for to complete work on all these projects in a time-bound manner, he said.