Karnataka - Bijapur   

39 projects to be ready by March

Staff Correspondent

Eshwarappa inspects Mulwad scheme

BIJAPUR: Minister for Water Resources K.S. Eshwarappa on Wednesday said 39 irrigation projects, including the Mulwad Lift Irrigation Scheme, would be completed by the end of March.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who inspected the work on the main canal of the scheme at the 25th km stretch at Ronihal village in Basavanabagewadi taluk, told presspersons that after he assumed office, 39 ongoing projects, especially those pending for a long time, were chosen for completion on priority, and Rs. 1,020 crore was earmarked for this.

He had been monitoring the progress of the projects, and considering the pace of work he could tell confidently that they would be completed by the end of March as planned.

He said water would be released till the last point of the 79-km main canal of the Mulwad scheme from July, with which an area of 20,000 hectares would be irrigated benefiting Basavanabagewadi, Bijapur and Jamkhandi taluks. Besides, field survey for the third stage lifting of the scheme had commenced.

Mr. Eshwarappa said his Ministry would not compromise on the quality of works. Hence, it had brought into force quality evaluation by third party (private consultants), which would start monitoring the work right from the start.

They would specify parameters on how much cement, steel and other material should be used in civil works. All new projects would be under third party inspection.

Ongoing projects too may be included under such supervision, he added.

Approved

Mr. Eshwarappa said the Cabinet had approved a Rs. 202-crore tank-filling project, and sanctioned Rs. 86.1 crore for first phase work, in which 16 tanks in Bijapur and eight tanks in Bagalkot would be filled with river water.

The first phase work included construction of five barrages. Foundation laying ceremony would be held either on January 15 or January 16, he said.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would take part in it.

Work on the Upper Bhadra Project was going on at a brisk pace and Rs. 82 crore had been spent on it, he said.

The remaining work, which needed Rs. 395 crore, would be completed by the end of December, he added.

Bijapur MLA Appasaheb Pattanashetti and former Basavanabagewadi MLA and district BJP chief S.K. Bellubbi accompanied the Minister.

`Ideology important'

Mr. Eshwarappa refused to attach much importance to Janata Dal (S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda's statement that his party would have a rethinking on continuing the tie-up with the BJP if the latter stuck to contentious issues.

He said what Mr. Deve Gowda or others would say was not important to the BJP. The party formed the coalition Government after having a pact with H.D. Kumaraswamy. The arrangement was limited to development works.

Mr. Eshwarappa said the party would not compromise on its ideology. It would not go back on its commitment to issues such as bringing in the Common Civil Code, banning cow slaughter, construction of the Ram Mandir and annulling special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

If the situation warranted, the BJP would stick to its ideology sacrificing power, he said.

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