K’taka to allocate Rs 1 cr per Assembly constituency to tackle drinking water shortage: CM

Belagavi (Karnataka), Jul 9 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday announced that the government has decided to allocate Rs 1 crore to each Assembly constituency, other than those in cities, to ensure there is no shortage of drinking water due to inadequate rainfall. The CM told this to the media after a review meeting of the Belagavi Division, attended by ministers and top officials, held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here. "Although Kittur Karnataka (under which the Belagavi Division comes) has received some rain, the central government has warned of a severe drought across the country, and Karnataka too has received below-normal rainfall," Shivakumar said. He said officials have been instructed to make adequate preparations for the supply of seeds and fertilisers. "Our government has already released funds to deputy commissioners. Instead of waiting for central government assistance, we have decided to act immediately so that people do not suffer," he said. "Local legislators should study local conditions and prepare suitable plans. We have also instructed officials to store sufficient water in reservoirs to ensure drinking water supply even if irrigation water becomes scarce," he added. Noting that concerns were expressed regarding the drinking water issue, the CM said, "The government had kept some funds with deputy commissioners for this purpose, but concerns were still expressed. So we decided to allocate Rs 1 crore to each Assembly constituency outside the cities to ensure there is no drinking water shortage. For cities, I will speak separately." As per the guidelines, a plan of action should be prepared for this, and necessary measures should be taken, he said. The CM said a separate meeting would be held in Bengaluru regarding fertiliser availability. "I will discuss the matter with the concerned ministers. The central government has supplied only about 50 per cent of the required fertilisers, so officials have been instructed to maintain adequate fertiliser stocks," he said. Stating that complaints were also received that the forest department is delaying drinking water and irrigation projects, Shivakumar said there are difficulties in laying pipelines at more than 60 locations. "I have instructed officials that under no circumstances should drinking water projects be obstructed," he added. He said MLAs had brought alleged irregularities in crop insurance to the government's attention. "Information has already been received from Kalaburagi. We will hold a meeting in Bengaluru to examine whether farmers are actually receiving insurance benefits or whether middlemen are exploiting the system," he said. Regarding the proposal on cloud seeding, the CM said more than ten MLAs had suggested it. "Some legislators recently funded cloud seeding experiments themselves (in Haveri) and reported success. We will obtain a report and make a decision after holding a meeting in Bengaluru," he added. Recalling his recent meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil and the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the inauguration of 33 new gates at the Tungabhadra Dam, Shivakumar said the joint meeting reached a consensus. "Instead of fighting among ourselves, we agreed that the Centre's technical committee will study the issue and submit a report. Based on that, further decisions will be taken on constructing a balancing reservoir," he said. He said there was also an in-principle agreement to link the Krishna, Cauvery and Godavari rivers. “The proposal has been submitted to the Centre, which plans to implement it as a national project at an estimated cost of around Rs 1 lakh crore. Under the plan, 90 per cent of the funding will be provided by the Centre and the remaining 10 per cent by the states,” he said. PTI KSU SSK