All irrigation projects, ongoing and pending, in the Krishna basin will be completed in five years, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at a public meeting in Manvi after laying foundation stones for various development projects on Wednesday
Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “The government has given high priority to the issue. We have decided to spend Rs. 50,000 crore on irrigation projects within five years at the rate of Rs. 10,000 crore each year. When I was in the Opposition, I promised to take up irrigation projects after coming to power, and I will keep my word,” the Chief Minister said.
Krishna awardReferring to the final award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, the Chief Minister said that the government would continue its fight till it gets its rightful share of the river waters.
Taking on the BJP, he criticised that party leaders for bringing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to the State for election campaigns as they (State BJP leaders) had lost their moral right to face the voters. “They (BJP leaders) had indulged in corruption when they were in power and now they don’t have the courage to go to the people. Hence, they are bringing Mr. Modi here,” he said.
“How can Mr. Modi who could not raise the standard of living in his own State lead India?” he asked.
Water for ManviThe Chief Minister announced a Rs. 54-crore project for supplying drinking water to Manvi town. “The project report has been submitted to Union government. I hope it will be approved shortly. Once the project is operational, Manvi will get 24 x 7 drinking water supply,” he said.
While the Chief Minister was speaking on the government’s ambitious schemes, including Anna Bhagya, some people from the crowd told him about the rampant irregularities in implementing the scheme.
“If any fair price shop collected excess money or distributed foodgrains short of prescribed quantity, please write to us we will cancel the licence. We are spending Rs. 4,200 crore a year on the scheme to feed over one crore people in the State. Our purpose is to create hunger-free State and corruption and irregularities in implementing the scheme will not be tolerated,” he said.
He claimed that he had given clean, efficient, pro-people, pro-development and corruption-free governance in the last seven months.
“We had, in our manifesto announced prior to the Assembly elections, made 169 promises to be fulfilled in five years, and also that we will meet 60 of them in the first year,” he said.
Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah was brought to the venue in a grand procession.
Minister for Public Works Department H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil, Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Minorities Welfare Qamar-ul Islam and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary N.S. Boseraju were present.
MLAs from all constituencies in the area and other people’s representatives were also present.
