From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Dec 4: Even as Karnataka Legislature is commencing its winter session in the border town of Belagavi, in Mumbai-Karnataka region, from next Monday December 10, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has urged all MPs from the State to vigorously pursue State issues such as Mahadayi water dispute, Makedatu drinking project and waiver of 50% farm loans borrowed from commercial banks.
"This is the duty of all State’s MPs to fight for the cause of Karnataka during the winter session of parliament,’’ Kumaraswamy told the MPs, who included Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Ramesh Jigajinagi.
Another minister from the state, Ananth Kumar Hegde did not attend the meeting while majority of all Congress and JD(S) MPs participated.
Addressing the MPs in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Kumraswamy said members of both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha should put pressure on the Modi government to waive at least 50 per cent of farm loans borrowed from commercial banks in the State.
The Chief Minister told Members of Parliament of all Lok Sabha constituencies to take up pending projects by the Centre in Karnataka.
Setting aside party differences, he asked the MPs to exert pressure on the centre to complete the pending road, railway and health projects sanctioned by the Modi government.
The meeting was attended by Karnataka government Ministers.
It discussed in detail the drought situation faced by the state and drinking water crisis.
Already 100 taluks have been declared drought hit by the State government and it has been demanding more relief from the Centre.
The MPs were also asked to take up the issues related to the Mahadayi water project.
The Karnataka government has filed a fresh petition in the Apex Court challenging the validity of the Mahadayi water dispute tribunal’s decision limiting the allocation of the water to 5.40 tmcft to the state and allowing the surplus water to flow into the sea.
The meeting also discussed multi-purpose Mekedatu project across the river Cauvery near Kanakapura and told MPs to take up the issue in the parliament.
The state government is expected to complete the DPR of the project in six to nine months.