Elected representatives from the Mahadayi riparian areas at a meeting here on Sunday resolved to raise their voice cutting across party lines with regard to the Mahadayi river water sharing issue.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and MLC Basavaraj Horatti, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council S.R. Patil and others spoke.
Members of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council from the region participated in the meeting.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, who represents the Badami Assembly constituency, did not turn up for the meeting but sent a letter pledging his consent to any decision taken.
It was a first such meeting pertaining to the Mahadayi issue and was held at a time when farmers organisations have made a scathing attack on political parties for trying to take mileage out of the issue rather than striving to protect the State’s interest.
The leaders who spoke at the meeting said that henceforth, they would engage in collective efforts on an apolitical basis to take the issue to its logical end. They also felt that it was necessary to seek the opinion of legal experts before finalising the future course of action.
This meeting of elected representatives from all political parties was the first step in this connection and it concluded on a positive note with no room for any dispute. More such meetings would be held to discuss and deliberate on this issue and every elected representative would strive to safeguard the interests of farmers and the State even if it became necessary to compromise with the stand and ideology of his respective political party, they said.
Further, the participants decided not to limit such meetings in the future to the Mahadayi issue alone. Instead, they decided to discuss and deliberate larger issues pertaining to the development of North Karnataka. They said that such meetings in the future would discuss steps to be taken to ensure the development of North Karnataka, steps to be taken at the State government level in finalising schemes suitable for the region, and also on the pressure to be built on the Centre to receive more development projects to achieve the overall development of North Karnataka, they said.
Later, Mr. Joshi, who interacted with a group of farmers, said that resolving an inter-State river water issue was a complex one the country was facing and successive governments have not been able to resolve any such dispute fully. However, the NDA Government at the Centre has taken some bold decisions on this one and it would be announced shortly, he said.
Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Horata Samiti leader Vikas Soppin, who welcomed the move to hold the meeting, said that it was a positive development that elected representatives from all political parties have made up their mind to join hands for a noble cause, while pledging to engage in efforts on a collective and apolitical basis. This move is expected to consolidate the State’s position and safeguard the interests of the State and its farmers, he added.
