JOIN USThe work towards supply of water from Karagada Devikere Lake to Belavadi Lake, is being carried out with inordinate delay. If the work is not speeded up within 15 days, protests will be carried out to urge minor irrigation department to carry out the work by itself, MLA and BJP State General Secretary C T Ravi, said.
Briefing reporters, in Mangaluru on Monday, he said that he had visited the place of the work five times in the month. Also, the minor irrigation department Chief Engineer had visited the spot 11 days earlier. But, the work is not accelerated.
The contractor has been carrying out the work using only one rig and two compressors, which is causing the abnormal delay, the MLA said.
Officials were asked to submit progress reports on every week. But the reports have not being furnished so far. If steps are not being taken to complete the work within the stipulated time, the protest will be inevitable towards urging the minor irrigation department to take up the work by itself, he said.
Ravi further said it was because of its interest that the Karagada project which was shelved for about 18 years, has now been taken up again. He also said that the people wouldn’t have elected him, if he was carrying out publicity stunts.
He said that he had discussed with the district in-charge minister towards inviting the Chief Minister for the ground breaking ceremony. The CM had assured of giving the date after the Belagavi session.
Also, there is a time of a minimum four months, for the tender process to get completed. But, why the ruling party is not interested in inviting the Chief Minister, he questioned.
During the Gram Panchayat elections, BJP supported candidates have won in large number. Congress and JD(S) have secured the second and third positions respectively.
Ready for public debate
C T Ravi claimed the proposed land ordinance bill to be development friendly and not an anti-farmer one. The BJP is ready for public debate in front of the media, he said and challenged Congress and parties to come prepared for the debate.
He said the debate should be carried out on the land acquisition act 1894 and 2013 along with the proposed ammendment. The central government is ready to incorporate the suggestions towards the ammendment, which are pro-farmer.
The government is of the firm stand that the land losers are to be given legal compensation. The proposed ammendment guarantees that the landowner is given four times the market rate of the land.
If a coffee plantation worth Rs 15 lakh is acquired, the government will pay a compensation of Rs 60 lakh. This is based on the American model of compensation, he said and added that no farmer would reject the very mode of the compensation.
The assembly sessions will be held from June 29 in Belagavi and the BJP will put forth the issues of sugarcane growers problems, illegal cultivation, single-digit lottery, cricket betting scam, Yallalinga murder case and will urge for the resignation of ministers Shivaraja Thangadagi and Khamarul Islam, he said.
BJP district Vice President Kote Ranganath, City unit President Varasiddhi Venugopal and others were present.