JOIN USCongress padyatra aimed at fooling people, says Bommai on Mekedatu project
Congress was suffering from a "guilty conscience" of failing to take up the Mekedatu project during their tenure, and have taken up a political 'padayatra' to fool people, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Sunday.
He also convened a meeting with senior Cabinet ministers and party leaders to discuss the Mekedatu project, Congress rally and development projects concerning Bengaluru.
"Over the last three years, they. (Congress) hasn't discussed the project anywhere. Now, sensing that elections are close, they have organised a political padayatra. They have a guilty consciousness of not taking up the project. So, to fool people, they have started the padayatra," he said, accusing Congress of lacking concern about irrigation projects of Karnataka.
Recalling that the National Green Tribunal had issued a stay for the project after a delegation of farmers from Tamil Nadu visited Mekedatu, Bommai said that Congress was aware of the consequences of organising an event near the project site. "But politics is more important to them. As a responsible party that ruled the state in the past, Congress should have analysed all the disputes about the case. Then, there wouldn't have been a 'padyatra'," he said.
Bommai said that after he became the CM, the state government exerted pressure on the Centre, due to which Detailed Project Report (DPR) moved from Central Water Commission to Cauvery Monitoring Board. "There will be a meeting this month where a decision on the project will be taken. Supreme Court is also hearing a case. We are following it up with our legal team. We are working for environmental clearance too," Bommai said.
He accused the Congress of taking four years to prepare a DPR. Congress did not submit DPR during their tenure, but it was submitted during Congress-JD(S) coalition government, Bommai said.
To a question on Covid-19 violations, he said that a notice has been issued to party leaders. "Officials have informed them in person. We will take action as per law," he said.
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