Moily's remarks on irrigation project draw flak

Union Petroleum Minister and Chikkaballapur MP M Veerappa Moily’s statement that G S Paramasivaya Committee recommendations can not be implemented has drawn the ire of farmers and their leaders.

Moily had reportedly said that as providing irrigation facilities as suggested by the Committee would cost a whopping Rs 26,000 crore, the Government would shortly implement the cost-effective Yettinahole project as envisaged by the State and the Centre.

Reacting to the Minister’s statement, Permanent Irrigation Scheme Struggle Committee and the Chitravathi Bachao Samithi convenor N S Chalapathi said that Moily had issued such a statement as he was unable to get the required funds for the project.

Addressing protesters at the venue of the ongoing agitation for permanent irrigation facility, which entered the 30th day on Monday, Chalapathi said Rs One lakh crore had been released by the government for Jalayagna programme in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

But, the government was not ready to spend Rs 26,000 crore for implementing the Paramasivaya Committee recommendations. Representatives and leaders of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha from Makireddypalli and Balareddipalli villages in the taluk participated in the dharna on Monday.

‘Not a poll plank’

In Kolar, members of the Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene - the farmers’ organisations, staged a sit-in, condemning lack of political will among the elected representatives in executing projects to ensure permananent irrigation.

During the protest at Gandhi Park in the city, the leaders said the political leaders should not include permanent irrigation on their election manifesto. They said the issue can’t become the poll plank to win votes as the politicians have failed to keep their promises on implementation of the projects.

Leaders Narayana Gowda, K Srinivasa Gowda, Hulkur Harikumar, Hoohalli Nagaraj, Mulbagil Ranjith Kumar, Achampalli Gangadhar, Mindahalli Raghu, B V Krishna, Ankatattanahalli Krishnappa, Munikrishna, Rajanikant, Bisanahalli Mukunda Gowda, Neelakanthapur Munegowda, Kari Vishwanath, Karaga Narayanaswamy, Ternahalli Venkatesh, Pratap, Agara Santosh, Kannambele Nandish, Ekamblalli Manjunath and Chalapathi took part in the protest.