CM has pledged govt to Baldota firm: Shettar

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadeesh Shettar on Tuesday charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has not yet taken a decision on according reserve forest status to Kappatagudda forest again, with pledging the state government to Baldota mining company.

Speaking at a meeting organised by BJP to support the farmers’ agitation seeking Sasalatti Lift Irrigation Project at Mahalingapur, Shettar saw ‘pressure’ from Baldota company behind the government’s decision to withdraw the reserve forest status to Kappatagudda earlier. “The same pressure is behind the inability of  the government to take a decision at the Wildlife Board meeting on Monday,” he contended.

Shettar said the drought situation has worsened in 160 taluks of the state. The chief minister should stop pointing fingers at the Union government, waive 50% of the farmers’ loan and write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive another 50%.

“We will take a delegation under the leadership of Yeddyurappa to the Centre and ensure that the other half of the loan is waived,” he said.

He advised Water Resources Minister M B Patil to make honest efforts for completion all Upper Krishna irrigation projects Shettar said the BJP will come to power in the 2018 Assembly election.  Sasalatti project, which aims to irrigate 80,000 acres of land in Mudhol, Jamkhandi and Beelgi taluks, will be completed on priority basis then, he added.