Bengaluru: Karnataka's Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge expressed his pride in the rich history and cultural significance of the Tulu language and assured that the government is positively considering recognizing it as an additional official language.
Kharge's comments came in response to a question posed by Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Rai regarding the status of Tulu as a second additional official language.
During a legislative session, Kharge announced that a blueprint would be developed after conducting a meeting with ministers, legislators, and officials from the Tulu Academy, chaired by Speaker U T Khader. This meeting will follow the conclusion of the current legislative session. Kharge's remarks were made on behalf of the Kannada and Culture Minister.
Kharge noted that the Mohan Alva committee report, which addresses the official status of Tulu, is currently under review by the Department of Law. He highlighted examples from other states where multiple languages have been recognized as official, such as Urdu alongside Telugu in Andhra Pradesh, and Bihari with Hindi in Bihar. In West Bengal, languages like Bengali, Bihari, and Urdu are used regionally.
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Kharge further acknowledged that members of the Tulu community have independently traveled to various states to study the implementation of additional official languages. These findings have been compiled into a report submitted to the government. Kharge assured the assembly that the government would conduct its official study to determine the feasibility of adopting Tulu as an additional official language.
The proposal received support from several members of the house, including Vedavyas Kamath, Harish Poonja, and others, who echoed Ashok Kumar Rai's sentiments.
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Gadag (Karnataka), Jul 27 (PTI): BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavarj Bommai on Sunday condemned Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's statement on the Mahadayi river project, as he also questioned the Congress' moral right to speak on the issue.
He claimed that whatever progress has been made on the Mahadayi issue, it happened under the BJP government.
Addressing the Goa Assembly last week, Sawant claimed that the Centre would not approve the Mahadayi project.
He also said the Goa government would file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka for carrying out activities aimed at diverting Mahadayi river water.
Bommai said, "There is no need to politicise the Mahadayi project issue. We are all united as this is an issue concerning the state. I condemn the statement made by the Chief Minister of Goa. There is no need to play such a big political game over one state's interests. He must act in accordance with the law, and hence I condemn his remarks."
Speaking to reporters here, he questioned the moral standing of Congress leaders in Karnataka on the Mahadayi issue.
"Congress leader Sonia Gandhi herself during the Goa polls said that not a single drop of Mahadayi water would be given to Karnataka. What moral right does Congress have to speak on this issue?" he asked.
Dubbing the Goa CM's statement an "insult to the people of Karnataka", CM Siddaramaiah had earlier hit out at the BJP stating "Why has the Centre not officially communicated its concerns? Is this how federalism works under the BJP? Are we being punished for not surrendering to the BJP?"
Bommai accused the Congress party of building a barrier to prevent Mahadayi water from flowing into the Malaprabha river, thereby obstructing the interlinking canal work initiated during the BJP regime and this was the only "contribution" Congress made to the Mahadayi project.
"Whatever progress has been made on the Mahadayi issue, it happened under the BJP government. The Congress, which constituted the tribunal, did not even provide it an office for four years. It was the BJP government that gave it an office. Though the tribunal gave a verdict, it was not notified. The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued the notification," he said.
It was the central NDA government that prepared the DPR for the Mahadayi project and got it approved. "It was also the BJP government that secured environmental clearance. The only thing the Congress did was to block the interlinking canal works started during the BJP tenure by constructing a barrier to prevent Mahadayi water from reaching the Malaprabha river," he said.
Goa has been opposing Karnataka's Kalasa-Banduri project in the Mahadayi river basin.
The Kalasa-Banduri project by the Karnataka government proposes diverting Mahadayi river water into the Malaprabha river to enhance the drinking water supply in parts of Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkote, and Gadag districts.
The Mahadayi river flows through Karnataka and Goa before joining the Arabian Sea. Known as the Mandovi in Goa, it is one of the state's two major rivers.
The diversion of Mahadayi water has long been a point of contention between Karnataka and Goa, with the latter claiming "it would severely impact the state's flora and fauna."
Speaking about the urea shortage in the state, Bommai said the government could have averted the crisis.
"Rainfall began early this year, and fertilizer should have been supplied where needed. Buffer stock should have been maintained, the management has not been proper," he said.
Noting that the state government has now submitted to the Centre for additional urea fertilizer supply, he said, "We (BJP) too will speak with the Union Minister for Agriculture and Fertilizers to get more supply. But more importantly, the fertilizer that is already arriving must be distributed properly by the Agriculture Department and the concerned ministers."