Poll-bound Karnataka gets Rs 5,300 cr aid for Upper Bhadra project in Union Budget
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced the Centre would provide Rs 5,300 crore assistance for the Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka.
In her budget speech in Parliament, she said: "In the drought prone central regions of Karnataka, a central assistance of Rs 5,300 crore will be given for the Upper Bhadra Project."
According to State officials, the project envisages lifting of 17.40 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water from river Thunga to Bhadra reservoir and 29.90 TMC from Bhadra reservoir.
Expressing gratitude, Bommai in a tweet said, "On behalf of whole of Karnataka I thank the Finance Minister @nsitharaman and the union government led by Prime Minister Mr @narendramodi for announcing a grant of Rs 5,300 crore for the state's flagship Upper Bhadra project in this year's union budget."
Bommai had repeatedly urged the union government to declare the Upper Bhadra project as a national project as "it will help get a central grant of Rs 16,000 crore".
He had also met Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, multiple times and requested her to allocate funds for the project.
The central regions of Karnataka often face drought situations despite the presence of two perennial rivers Tunga and Bhadravathi, which become Tungabhadra after their convergence, and will get a respite with the implementation of the project, officials added.
Assembly elections are due in Karnataka by May.
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DMK seeks separate seating in Lok Sabha after split with Congress alliance
New Delhi: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a separate seating arrangement for Members of Parliament belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) following the end of the party’s alliance with the Indian National Congress.
In a letter dated May 7 addressed to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Kanimozhi said the changed political situation made it inappropriate for DMK MPs to continue sitting alongside Congress members in the House.
She requested the Speaker to make “suitable changes” in the seating arrangement of the DMK Parliamentary Party and allot separate seating for its MPs.
“In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” the letter stated.
Kanimozhi further said separate seating would help DMK members effectively discharge their responsibilities in the Lok Sabha.
