To create awareness on the progress of the Upper Bhadra project, a team of farmers, members of different organisations and elected representatives, including MP B.N. Chandrappa and Challakere MLA T. Raghumurthy, paid a visit to the project site here on Friday and reviewed the progress of the work. They also expressed satisfaction over its progress.
Speaking to farmers at the project site, Mr. Raghumurthy said that the project was launched during the previous Congress government at a cost of ₹12,340 crore and 13,266 hectares of land in Challakere taluk and 51 tanks in the district would benefit from it. Till the end of August 2018, the authorities have spent ₹2,483 crore. There are plans to complete the project by the end of December 2018, he said.
Mr. Chandrappa said the project would provide irrigation facilities to Hosadurga, Holalkere, Hiriyur and Challakere taluks of the district and would play a crucial role in filling tanks in the district. A total of 20 tanks of Molkalmuru taluk would be filled under the project.
The canal work at Ajjampur is under progress and the same is expected to be completed by the end of this month, he said. “Since many farmer leaders and representatives of different organisaitons had wrong information on the progress of the project and were expressing doubts on its early completion, the site visit programme was planned,” he added.
Akanda Karnataka Raitha Sangha State president Somaguddu Rangaswamy said that the state government should take immediate steps to release the remaining funds for early completion of the project to find a permanent solution to water problems of the people.
B.G. Govindappa, former MLA, was present.