Mahadayi agitators urge VP Venkaiah Naidu to notify Tribunal order

Mahadayi agitators urged Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to direct the Union Government to notify Mahadayi Tribunal’s verdict in the Central Gazette at the earlier.

Speaking to media persons, later, Naidu said he would forward the memorandum given by the Mahadayi agitation farmers to the government. "I don't have powers to order a solution to the Mahadayi issue. All I can do is forward their request to the government," he said. I am happy that I could interact with the farmers and assure them of help, he said.

Earlier, a delegation of Raitha Sena Karnataka, led by its president Veeresh Sobaradmath, met Naidu in Hubballi on Sunday and discussed the Mahadayi issue and submitted a memorandum.

"We explained to him about the farmers’ struggle in the region, and the pathetic condition caused by drinking water shortage. Though Mahadayi Tribunal allocated 13.5 TMC feet of water to Karnataka, State and Central government have failed to use that. Therefore, we have sought the intervention of the vice-president," Sobaradmath said.

Raitha Sena Karnataka also demanded permanent centres to procure rabi crops including jawar, wheat, maize and sunflower at the minimum support price.

Members of Malaprabha-Mahadayi-Kalasa Banduri Raitha Horata Okkuta and Karnataka Kalasa Banduri Raitha Horata Samiti also submitted a memorandum to Naidu, seeking steps for speedy diversion of water from Mahadayi basin to Malaprabha river. They also demanded the Centre to provide more funds to the state for flood relief works.