Implement irrigation project, demands HDK

Moves of State govt criticised at World Water Day seminar

“Residents of Chikkaballapur, Kolar and other dryland districts have been incessantly demanding the implementation of the Paramashivaiah Report, but the State government continues to ignore the demands,” said former chief minister and MP H D Kumaraswamy.

“The State government should work to fulfill the needs and demands of the people instead of trying to enforce its ideas and rules on them,” he added.

He was addressing a seminar on World Water Day, organised at the Vokkaligara Bhavan in the City on Thursday.

Continued protests

Farmers, elected representatives and members of different organisations have continued their struggle at different levels in favour of implementation of the Report.

The government, however, has failed to respond to the protests, which is disappointing, he said.

“The government lacks the integrity and desire to implement the irrigation project. It could easily have opted for the Paramashivaiah Report, which will benefit the residents of dryland districts much more than the Ettinahole Project that the government has preferred,” he alleged.

‘Only solution’

Ramesh Kumar, former speaker of the Legislative Assembly, said, “Only the Paramashivaiah Report will prove effective in the drought-affected region. If the State government fails to take immediate steps in this direction, the condition of the districts will only worsen.”

‘Bayaluseemeya Baayaarike Hingeethe’, a book by Dr Madhuseethappa, was released on the occasion.

Water expert Dr G S Paramashivaiah, former Parliamentarian R L Jalappa, legislator K P Bachegowda, former legislator Jyothi Reddy, Permanent Irrigation Agitation Committee convenor R Anjaneya Reddy, JD(S) district unit president M Rajanna, Mallur Shivanna and others were present on the occasion.