The State government termed as “baseless and untrue” allegations made by disgruntled BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath that tenders for over ₹20,000 crore have been called for execution of Upper Bhandra canal and Cauvery projects without approvals from the Finance Department.
A proposal has been submitted to the Centre seeking to declare Upper Bhandra canal as a national project. The project would be implemented at a cost of ₹21,473 crore and the Centre would reimburse ₹16,125.4 crore with a condition that the execution of the project should be completed by 2023–24. Therefore, the allegation made by the MLC that the project had not been cleared by the Finance Department was wrong and baseless, Water Resources Department Secretary Lakshman Rao Peshwe clarified in an official communication.
The Upper Bhadra project was designed to irrigate 5,57,022 acres of dryland in Chitradurga, Davangere, Tumakuru, and parts of Chikkamagaluru districts, he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Central Water Commission (CWC) had approved the national project status for Upper Bhadra project and now the proposal was before the technical advisory committee for approval, he said.
The MLC, who had switched his loyalty from the JD(S) to the BJP a couple of years ago, alleged that the “entire State”, including Ministers, had been talking about the Chief Minister’s son B.Y. Vijayendra’s interference in the administration.