The Kannada Sanghatanegala Okkuta, a federation of pro-Kannada organisations, has decided to stage a ‘Rail Bandh’ across Karnataka on December 26, in protest against the delay in resolving the long-pending issue of the Kalasa Banduri Nala Project.
Speaking to presspersons before proceeding to Kanakambi in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi district for the ‘Guddali Chalavali’, to open the closed vents of the Kalasa Nala, leader of the okkuta Vatal Nagaraj said that the agitation was aimed at putting pressure on the Union government to intervene on the issue.
Mr. Nagaraj said that the whole State was now united on the issue of Kalasa Banduri Nala and sharing of Mahadayi river. “Despite the farmers’ agitation the politicians have not come out with a united voice on the issue,” he said. He said that the only solution to the problem was that the Prime Minister should convene a meeting of the three riparian States to clear the hurdles for the project.
The members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from Karnataka should prevail upon the Prime Minister to intervene in the issue .Regarding the stand taken by Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Horata Samanvaya Samiti that they did not support the ‘Guddali Chalavali’, Mr. Nagaraj and Sa.Ra. Govindu of Dr. Raj Abhimanigala Sangha tried to clarify that there were no differences on the issue and all the farmers and organisations were united on the issue.However, in a release issued later, the samiti convenors clarified that Mr. Nagaraj and others did visit the dharna venue, but they did not allow the members to reveal their stand on the issue.
‘PM should convene a meeting of the three riparian States’
