K'taka has not sought national project tag for UBP, says minister

 Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has said that the State government had not submitted any proposal seeking national project status for Upper Bhadra Project (UBP).

Addressing a press meet here on Friday, Gowda said that Karnataka has three-four ministers in the Union Cabinet and the State government can expect co-operation from us if some one from the government speak to us.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, being a member of the Niti Aayog, absents himself from the panel’s meeting. How could you expect solutions for the State’s problems under such circumstances?”  Gowda said.

He said that some people had been demanding the resignation of MPs from Karnataka on one or the other ground, but voters had elected them to serve for  five years.

He said that there had been no positive response from the chief ministers of Goa and Maharashtra on addressing the Kalasa-Banduri issue. The Union government intends to resolve the issue amicably by holding talks with the stakeholders, he said.

Earlier, speaking at a programme Gowda said that the bank authorities who refuse to sanction loans from Mudra Bank under Prime Minister’s Skill Development Programme will face disciplinary action. He said that under the programme, the candidates who have undergone a 150-day training are eligible to get Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh as loan without any security, from Mudra Bank.