Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Udupi (DV/HB)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Mar 18: The Karnataka budget for the fiscal year 2016-'17 presented by chief minister Siddarmaiah on Friday March 18 had the following projects/allocations for the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi:
- Rs 2.5 crore for the construction of International Museum of Konkani Culture at Mangaluru. The project is being undertaken by Mandd Sobhann at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore. It was launched on June 15, 2013.
- In connection to the controversial Yettinahole project, the chief minister announced the constitution of a coordination committee for the early and effective implementation of the project.
- A separate corporation will be formed for Yettinahole project. Also, an experts' committee will be constituted to study and report on the availability of water from other alternate sources along with Yettinahole project to provide permanent irrigation facility to drought prone areas of Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts. Work will also be undertaken to fill up the tanks in Kolar district through lift irrigation after treating sewage water flowing in Koramangala - Challaghatta valley, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,280 crore.
It should be noted that the government did not allocate any funds for the Rs 13,000-crore Yettinahole project.
- Under the state programmes, the water board is implementing 72 schemes, out of which during 2016-17 the board is planning to commission 12 water supply schemes costing Rs 451.62 crores at Haliyala, Sandur, Gangavathi, Mangaluru vented dam, Beltangadi, Madikeri, Hiriyur-Challakere, Shivamogga, Honnali, Ramanagara-Channapatna, Srinivaspura, Bidar remodelling distribution system.
- Government has given approval for the construction of international standard swimming pool in Mangaluru at a cost of Rs 4.99 crore.
- Exempt sale of crude oil to bring crude oil sold from caverns located at Padur in Udupi district and Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district on par with crude oil directly imported by Indian refineries
- It is proposed to take up feasibility studies for construction of fishing harbour at Hangarkatte in Kodibengre, Udupi district.
- Oceanarium will be constructed at Pilikula Nisarga Dhama of Dakshina Kannada district at a cost of Rs 15 crore with 75% government share and the remaining from the society.
- Simple and easy to use handheld point of sale (PoS) machines will be installed in all the fair price shops of Udupi district as a pilot project to ensure the distribution of right quantity of food grain at right price to the beneficiaries.
- In order to encourage adventure sports in the coastal regions in association with jungle lodges and resorts, Water Adventure Sports Centre will be established at a cost of Rs 6 crore.
- Under Coastal Protection Scheme Phase-2, DPR for 8 sub-projects with a financial assistance of Rs 650 crore as a loan from Asian Development Bank has been prepared and submitted to Central Water Commission for approval. Works will be commenced after approval.
- Sanction has been accorded for construction of breakwater at Gangolli fishing harbour at the cost of Rs 102.11 crore.
- Sanction has been granted for dredging works at a cost of Rs 11.71 crore at Malpe, Belikeri and Kodikanyana fishing harbours/fish landing centres.
Reactions
Reacting to the budget, MLA J R Lobo said, "The chief minister has given a very good budget. Basic amenities, both in rural and urban areas, have been given special importance. It is pro-development budget in which funds have been alloted to all the sectors, be it fishing, inland water transport, dams etc. I am sure that with this budget, our government will be able to achieve the development goals we had set."
However, BJP was not so happy. MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik criticized the budget and said, "Prices of commodities used by the common man will increase due to increase in taxes. At the same time, commodities used by the rich have not been exempted from tax. It is really condemnable that allotment to education sector has been decreased from 14 percent to 12 percent."
Nevertheless, he welcomed the move to set up an Oceanarium at Pilikula Nisargadhama and congratulated the government on it.
"The people were anticipating the announcement of 43 new taluks, but they have been disappointed," he added.
He also pointed out that the complete omission of Mangaluru airport runway work from the budget was extremely disappointing.
Udupi district in-charge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake welcomed the budget and said, "It is good budget with importance being given to all the sectors like agriculture, health, education, urban and rural development and so on. Attention has also been given to the welfare of minorities and the poor. This budget is better than last time's."
Asked whether the state government had managed to complete the projects announced in the last budget, he said, "Some of the works are pending as the central government has not released funds. They will be completed soon."
MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary slammed the budget and said, "We were expecting modernization of rural regions and agriculture, but that did not happen. We have got no respite from 'kattale bhagya (darkness) either. Doctors have been deprived of basic facilities, but this issue has not been take up at all. This budget has brought no respite for farmers either."
What Anti-Yettinahole activists say
Activists who are up in arms against the state government over the Yettinahole project slammed the government for establishing a corporation for the project, terming it as a 'plan' to fool the people.
M G Hegde said, "This is just to fool the people of Kolar. The government has not allocated any funds for the project. The new corporationn will be like an office to distribute water."
Dinesh Holla said, "There is a big plan behind this, and it has been done only to please the people of Kolar and Chikkaballapur who had recently protested. Finally the government came to know there is not enough water in Netravati, so now it wants to implement a comprehensive drinking water project linking all rivers in the Western Ghats, which is nothing but the implementation of the Paramashivayya report.
"The government did not allot any funds for this project, because through the corporation, now it can release funds anytime. This is planned strategy to divert the Netravati river," he said.