Blaming the State Government for not yet approving the proposal to improve bulk water supply from Malaprabha reservoir to the twin cities, and for not releasing the pending pension grants to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar said, "this government is dead, and a Tughalak Durbar is going on in the State".

Speaking to media persons after holding a meeting with the officials of different departments here on Tuesday, regarding the water supply problems, he noted that the twin cities are totally depending on Malaprabha reservoir after Neersagar tank went dry, and drinking water crisis is being experienced, due to delay in water supply.

The State Government just has to give approval for Rs 24 crore proposal to increase the bulk water supply from Malaprabha reservoir, as the funds available with Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWDB) and HDMC can be utilised for it. We have informed this to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah repeatedly. District In-charge Minister Vinay Kulkarni is also not holding review meetings about water supply situation, Mr Shettar lamented.

Mr Siddaramaiah recently stated that he asked the Finance Department to release the pending pension grants to the HDMC, but the amount is not yet released. PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa had assured to start tender process for second phase CRF (Rs 200 crore) road development works in the twin cities, but due to politics and corruption, this too has not ben done, he charged.

Mr Shettar said, Rs 82 crore pending compensation to the farmers in the district under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), is not yet released, while the State Government has not yet disclosed the report of the expert committee on crop insurance amount in this regard, Mr Shettar said.

The Bengal gram price has fallen due to which the farmers are in trouble. The government has announced Rs 4,400 minimum support price per quintal of bengal gram, and the government should open procurement centres fast, he added.

Mayor D K Chavan, Corporators Umeshgouda Kaujageri and Mahesh Burli, and others were present.

BRTS blamed

Water pipelines were damaged at 11 places due to the BRTS works since November 24, and therefore, water was supplied to some areas once in 10 days.

This is how KUWSDB officials explained the reason for the delay in water supply, during a meeting with Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar. "In other areas, we are supplying water once in seven days," they said.

The BRTS officials noted that pipelines were damaged during the UGD line shifting by the HDMC, and the last pipeline damaged would be restored by Tuesday evening.

"Akshay Colony has not received water since last 11 days. This is an artificial scarcity. All departments concerned should have co-ordination, while the water board should ensure that water supply frequency should not exceed once in seven days," Mr Shettar instructed.