State Finance Commission Chairman A G Kodgi on Tuesday has alleged that the K C Reddy Committee appointed to study the irrigation projects of the State, has committed a forgery.
Addressing media persons here, he said fake documents have been created to show that public have opposed the ‘Sowbhagya Sanjeevini’ project, which would be a boon for the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Most of the people who opposed the project as shown in the reports are from Bangalore. It is a plot to end the ambitious dream, he complained.
The K C Reddy Committee has purposefully created confusions regarding the project. Study has not been done honestly. The information submitted to the government is of much bias, he added.
Mr Kodgi said discussions had been done both in Parliament and State Assembly regarding the scheme. Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayats have passed resolutions in support of the project. Ministers and Members of Parliament have also supported. Despite, the committee has created documents showing the opposition of the public, which has hidden agendas, he criticised.
It can be recalled here that the K C Reddy Committee meeting (held on June 11) had received 56 applications out of which 53 are against the project proposal. And in the wake of this, the committee had reported that the project has opposition from the public.
Mr Kodgi said that out of the 53 letters, 48 are of much resemblance. “The points raised in them are more or less same. Duplicate copies have been prepared with fake names. It is a forgery. The committee should be immediately quashed and a comprehensive probe should be conducted,” he urged.
Replying a query, Mr Kodgi said after examining complete documents regarding Sowbhagya Sanjeevini, Minister for Water Resources K S Eshwarappa has assured of cancelling the K C Reddy Committee and forming a fresh one. “If the Udupi District-in-charge Minister expresses disappointment over my statements against K C Reddy Committee, I will not hesitate to resign from the Finance Commission. But I will fight against the issue in the court,” he challenged.
Udupi Zilla Panchayat President B N Shankar Poojary, Member Kota Srinivas Poojary were present in the press meet.