Bengaluru, Mar 16 (DHNS): Legislators from the parched Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural districts have decided take a delegation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, urging him to allocate adequate funds for Yettinahole project.

Senior MLA K R Ramesh Kumar will lead the delegation, which is likely to meet the chief minister before the commencement of the legislature session, at the Vidhana Soudha.

The elected representatives’ decision came a day after the protest staged by a large number of farmers from these districts in Bengaluru.

The protesters led by Karnataka Raita Sangha condemned the 2015-16 budget for not mentioning anything about the initiatives for solving the drinking water problem in these districts, including Yettinahole project and on implementing the Paramashivaiah report.
They had set two days’ deadline to the government to fulfill their demand.

Leaders taken to task

The agitating farmers had taken elected representatives, including legislators and MPs, to task and demanded that they should resign immediately.

So much so that former union minister K H Muniyappa and Ramesh Kumar had assured the protesters that they were ready to resign if necessary.

Deputy Speaker N H Shivashankar Reddy said the government has allocated Rs 3,700 crore in the budget for Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL), which has taken up Yettinahole project. Of this, about Rs 1,500 crore will be utilised for the project. There is no mention about the project in the budget as it has already been taken up. There is no need for people to panic, he added.

He said the delegation will urge the chief minister to make adequate allocation for the project in the budget.

No time frame fixed

Though the project for filling up lakes with treated waste water is mentioned in the budget, the chief minister has not spelt out the cost estimate and time frame for its completion.

Besides, the delegation will seek special funds from the chief minister for the development of lakes in these districts, he added.

When contacted, Water Resources Minister M B Patil defended the government, saying that there was no need for mentioning ongoing projects in the budget.

The chief minister has taken the problem of drinking water in the region seriously. Adequate allocation of funds has been made in the budget, and Yettinahole project will be implemented on priority, he added.