Leader of the opposition in the assembly Dharam Singh has turned the tables on Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been campaigning against the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who during the run up to the Goa assembly elections had reportedly spoken against the interests of Karanataka regarding the diversion of Mahadayi river, for providing drinking water to a number of north Karnataka towns.
``It is during the BJP’s regime both at the Centre and the State that injustice has been done to Karnataka by denying permission to the State for diverting Mahadayi river’’ Dharam Singh told media persons here on Saturday.
Coming down heavily on deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa and Water Resources Minister K S Eshwarappa for launching a campaign against Sonia Gandhi, the former chief minister sought to get Sonia Gandhi out of the controversy. He said that Sonia Ganshi had spoken in Goa only in tune with the Congress manifesto and there was nothing offensive against Karnataka.
``BJP is unnecessarily politicising the issue. We will have to counter it’’ Dharam Singh warned.
Questioning the credentials of Yediyurappa and Eshwarappa vis-a-vis Mahadayi, Dharam Singh pointed out that Mahadayi Diversion Scheme was conceptualised during R Gundu Rao’s regime. Both S M Krishna and himself when they were chief ministers had led an all party delegation to the Centre seeking its permission for the Mahadayi scheme.

Injustice
However, the Vajpayee government at the Centre and Manohar Parrikar government in Goa did grave injustice to Karnataka by favouring Goa, Dharam Singh blamed.Asked whether the State leaders would prevail upon the Centre since Congress party was in power both in Delhi and Goa, Mr Singh said they would definitely make efforts to materialise Mahadayi which would ensure 7.56 tmc ft of water to Karnataka, thereby quenching the thirst of a number of north Karnataka towns including Hubli, Dharwad, Navalgund and Naragund.
Reiterating that the State Congress party would go with a delegation to meet Sonia Gandhi and other central leaders to prevail upon them on the need for giving a nod for Mahadayi Diversion Scheme, Dharam Singh made it clear that the Congress was totally committed to the Mahadayi project.
Dharam Singh took strong exception to the State electricity supply companies seeking upward revision of power tariff. He accused the power supply companies of their inability to bring down transmission and distribution loss which stood at a whopping 36 per cent.

Tarrif hike
He urged the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) not to allow power tariff hike until the supply companies substantially reduced T&D losses.
Also, he said that he had already spoken to the KERC Chairman K P Pandey on the issue.