Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 19: Dakshina Kannada BJP spokesperson, Harikrishna Bantwal, sought to allay allegations made by some activists against Dakshina Kannada member of parliament (MP), Nalin Kumar Kateel, relating to his reported appreciation of the chief minister for allocating Rs 1,500 crore for Yettinahole project. They had criticised the MP for thanking the chief minister for allocating funds for a project that he has been fighting against all along.
Harikrishna Bantwal, addressing a press conference in the city on Wednesday, March 18, said that Kateel is even now committed to his fight against the said project. "A few days back, Nalin met union minster, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, urging him to review Yettinahole project. He requested the minister to conduct a repeat study of rainfall of the catchment area covered by Yettinahole project and availability of water resources and to place the findings before the people. He urged the minister to ensure that Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts, which are drought-hit, do not face injustice in the name of executing Yettinahole project," he said. He added that Kateel requested a delegation relating to irrigation from the central government to visit the area, undertake detailed study, and furnish its integrated report to the state and central governments.
Bantwal said that seven legislators from the district along with the MP will soon meet Yediyurappa to urge him against allocating funds for Yettinahole project. When his attention was drawn to the fact that legislators from the district are not questioning the allocation of funds to Yettinahole project in the assembly session, he said that they will do so shortly.
When it was pointed out to him that the MP had tweeted welcoming the chief minister's move to allocate funds for the project which he abhorred, Harikrishna Bantwal said that it was an accidental blunder. He promised to bring this to the notice of the MP.
Activists of Anti Yettinahole Project Committee, Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe, Roshan D'Souza, and Abdul Razack Thokoor were present.