CM Siddaramaiah writes to PM, FM seeking release of Rs 5,300 cr for Upper Bhadra project
Bengaluru, Jan 25 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting the release of Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra River Project.
He also addressed a letter to Union Water Resources Minister C R Patil regarding the matter.
In the letter shared with the media on Saturday, the CM reminded them that during the 2023-24 Union Budget speech, Sitharaman had announced Rs 5,300 crore as central assistance for the Upper Bhadra Project.
In the letter sent separately, Siddaramaiah stated, "The inclusion process for the Upper Bhadra Project in the National Project Scheme has been delayed, and the progress of the project is being hindered due to the non-release of Central Assistance".
He emphasised that to accelerate the project's progress, it is crucial to release the Central Assistance already announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget.
Siddaramaiah explained that the ongoing Upper Bhadra Project in central Karnataka aims to provide irrigation to 2,25,515 hectares through drip irrigation in Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, and Davanagere districts. It also seeks to supply water for filling 367 minor irrigation lakes in these districts to aid groundwater recharge, using 29.90 TMC of water.
"The components of the project were initiated in 2008, and substantial progress has been made, with the State Government incurring an expenditure of Rs 10,121.75 crore so far," the CM said.
He also mentioned that the advisory committee of the Ministry of Water Resources had on December 24, 2020, approved the techno-economic viability of the Upper Bhadra Project.
The proposal for investment clearance of the project, amounting to Rs 16,125.48 crore, was also approved in the 15th Investment Clearance Committee meeting held on March 25, 2021.
Additionally, the High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) has already recommended the proposal for inclusion in the National Project Scheme, Siddaramaiah explained.
He further noted that the Public Investment Board (PIB), under the Chairmanship of the Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure), Ministry of Finance, had also recommended the inclusion of the Upper Bhadra Project in the National Project Scheme during its meeting on December 12, 2022.
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Our people will not leave: Palestinian president condemns Trump's suggestion to 'clean out' Gaza
Ramallah (AP): The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sharply condemned US President Donald Trump's suggestion to “clean out” the Gaza Strip and request that Egypt and Jordan take in more Palestinians.
In a statement, the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, says the prospect of mass displacement from the Gaza Strip “constitutes a violation of the red lines that we have repeatedly warned against.”
“Our people will not leave,” the statement said. “We warn of the repercussions of such a dangerous Israeli policy that contributes to severing the ties of the Gaza Strip, and displacing its people, which will lead to destabilization and security.”
Trump's remarks suggesting that Palestinians be encouraged to leave Gaza gets at the core of Palestinian fears that they will be driven from their remaining homeland.
The Palestinian presidency said it was “ready to assume its full duties in the Gaza Strip” in hopes of eventually establishing an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, briefly controlled Gaza after Israeli troops withdrew in 2005, only to be driven out by its rival Hamas two years later.
