Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (RJP)
Puttur, Jan 1: Union law minister and former chief minister of Karnataka D V Sadananda Gowda on Friday January 1 said that he was not aware about his party colleague MP Nalin Kumar leading an all-party delegation to meet union ministers to discuss the controversial Yettinahole project
It may be recalled that an all-party delegation which included anti-Yettinahole project activists and environmental activists led by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had met minister for environment Prakash Javadekar and union minister for water resources Uma Bharti on December 17. The delegation had briefed the union ministers about the adverse effects of Yettinahole project on the Netravati river basin and the environment.
Later on Monday December 21 in a press meet held in Mangaluru city, former MLA and president of Karavali Jeevanadi Netravati Rakshana Samiti Vijaykumar Shetty had claimed that the delegation had received a positive response from the union ministers.
Sadananda Gowda speaking to reporters here said that he came to know about the meeting only through the media. He also took a dig at the local BJP leadeship and the member of parliament they should have informed him about it at least out of courtesy.
It may be mentioned here that it was during Sadananda Gowda's tenure as the chief minister of Karnataka that the Yettinahole project was given administrative approval. The minister has time and again expressed his support to the project, while also maintaining that as a union minster, he could not interfere in a project being undertaken by the current state government.
DVS also said he was unhappy about the fact that BJP did not perform well as expected in the recent legislative council elections.
When contacted, Nalin Kumar declined to comment saying that he was unaware of Sadananda Gowda's statement, and assured that he would respond later.