UKP stage 3: CM Siddaramaiah promises Rs 5K cr extra grant for land compensation

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday announced that he would allocate an additional Rs 5,000 crore in the Supplementary Budget to distribute as compensation for the lands acquired for Upper Krishna Stage 3.

Speaking at an event to lay the foundation stone for the government medical college and disburse compensation cheques to farmers who parted with their land for UKP - 3, Siddaramaiah said, “Rs 3,000 crore was already allocated for providing compensation to the land losers in the 2026-27 budget. Based on the request, additional funds will be sanctioned in the Supplementary Budget.”

Taking a dig at the Centre over the inordinate delay in implementing the project, Siddaramaiah said, “Thirteen years on, the Centre is yet to issue gazette notification. In Gujarat’s case, the Centre issued notification despite a litigation in river water-sharing issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, despite legal challenges and rehab disputes, ensured that the project in their state was cleared. But they have not shown any interest in UKP - 3,” Siddaramaiah alleged.

“I have written several times to the Centre seeking it to issue gazette notification for UKP - 3. I have even taken delegation to PM Modi. But the Centre did not respond to our pleas. There are no legal hurdles for the Mahadayi project, but the Centre is adopting go-slow tactics,” he charged.

“The state government is committed to establish government medical colleges in all districts, super-specialty hospitals and trauma care centres. Government medical colleges will soon be established in Kolar and Mangaluru while Haveri will get a super-specialty hospital. The children from rural and poor backgrounds should also become doctors,” he said.

Delegation to Delhi

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that the Andhra Pradesh government is pressuring the Centre not to acquire lands for UKP - 3 and distribute compensation to land losers. Even the Maharashtra government is opposing the project which proposes to increase the Almatti dam height. “ I will lead a delegation to Delhi to convince the Centre on the ground realities and the need to implement the project. We will meet our MPs in the national capital,” he said.  

Internal quota: Spl Cabinet meet on March 27 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a government event in Bagalkot said on Saturday that he has called a special cabinet meeting to discuss the implementation of internal reservation in recruitment of 56000-plus jobs. The SC (Right) and SC (Left) factions within the ruling Congress are divided over the internal reservation during the recruitment announced in the Cabinet meet last week. The state government had decided that the recruitment to fill 56432 vacant posts will be based on the reservation order in force before December 28 2022 (15% for SCs and 3% for STs) due to the stay on the enhanced quota and internal reservation.