JOIN USChief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said the proposed Ettinahole project, which envisages providing drinking water supply to the parched districts of Bangalore rural, Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Tumkur, will be launched by July end.
Speaking after inaugurating the Vishwa Kunchitiga convention, he said the State government had already given administrative approval to the project. Efforts will be made to complete the project and supply water in two years’ time, he said.
The government has not abandoned the Netravathi diversion scheme. But it has only been modified to ensure that the project does not harm the Western Ghats. The Ettinahole project is part of the diversion scheme, and it will be implemented without disturbing the ecology, he said.
The government will seriously consider including the Kunchitiga community under category 1A of backward classes. Besides, the Centre will be pressured to include the community in its list of backward classes, he said.
Gowda said all communities organised conventions to show their strength and thereby mount pressure on the government to fulfill their demands. But such efforts should not lead to division of society.
Union Minister of State for Railways, K H Muniyappa, said the development of a community was possible only through political representation. A delegation of the Kunchitiga community leaders will be taken to Delhi to mount pressure on the Centre to include it under its list of backward classes, he added.
Seers clash
The Vishwa Kunchitiga convention held at Palace grounds witnessed a clash between two seers. When Nanjavadhoota Swami said Vokkaligas and Kunchitigas were one, the same did not go down well with Shantaveera Swami of Kunchitiga Mahasamsthana of Hosadurga, who openly opposed it and expressed his displeasure. This led to some confusion and a section of the audience started shouting slogans.
“It is impossible to agree with Nanjavadhoota Swami. Vokkaligas are different from Kunchitigas. This is a Kunchitiga convention and not Vokkaliga convention,” Shantaveera Swami stated. His statements led to commotion for some time. Efforts by Balagangadharanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt and Congress leader T B Jayachandra to pacify the protestors went in vain. Nanjavadhoota Swami said he received threatening calls from some people and that he would lodge a police complaint on Monday.
Earlier, Nanjavadhoota Swami had said both Vokkaligas and Kunchitigas would have been sidelined, had it not been for the efforts of Balagangadharanatha Swami towards the welfare of the two communities. Yet, an influential community was trying to divide these communities, he said.