Ruling Janata Dal (Secular) leaders from the district have urged the State government to give approval for the long pending Kagna irrigation project in Sedam taluk, promised to create an irrigation potential of 26,000 acres.

The party leaders from the district have decided to putforth this demand before the former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy during their visit to Sedam on June 24, Sunday.

Speaking to media persons here on Friday, former Sedam MLA and former deputy speaker of the State Assembly Chandrashekhar Reddy Madana said the Kagna project was conceived in the year 1985 when he was MLA and it has remained in the wilderness since then.

“It is high time the project is brought out from the wilderness and implement it in the right earnest,” Madana said.

The project would benefit three taluks namely Sedam, Chittapur and Gulbarga transforming 26,000 acres of dry and parched land into greenery. “The project would bring immense economic prosperity to the region,” Madana added.

Five folds

He said when the project was conceived in 1985 it was estimated to cost Rs 30 crore and now the cost may have gone up by four to five folds. Nevertheless, the Government should clear the project without any further delay.

He said, himself and other leaders of the district would prevail upon Mr Deve Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy on the dire need for taking up the project at the earliest.

The former MLA also wanted the Government to upgrade the Ribbanpalli-Wagdhari Road in view of the increased traffic in the recent time.

Malkhed Utsav

He wanted the Government to hold Malkhed Utsav every year and take steps for protecting the age old fort in Malkhed, the erstwhile capital of Rashtrakutas, and preserve other historical monuments.

District JD (S) President Basavaraj Tadkal said the JD (S) leaders after visiting Yadgir would be coming to Sedam around 2.30 pm to address party workers meeting.

A bike rally will be held from the Vasavadatta Cement factory to Matruchaya College where a public meeting will be addressed by the leaders. Latter they will proceed to Kannalli village in Surapur taluk for a night stay.