Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday laid the foundation stone for the project at Devanahalli aimed at filling up 21 lakes and ponds with treated water supplied from Hebbal-Nagawara valley.
“Today is a historical day in the annals of Devanahalli. There was on instance of commencing so many developmental works in the history of Devanahalli,’’ Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister said the ground water table has been depleted at an alarming rate in this area and the project to fill tanks and ponds in Chikballapur district would be the first of its kind in the country. “The state government has taken up Rs 13,000-crore Yettinahole project to supply drinking water to Kolar, Ramanagar, Chikballapur, Bengaluru Rural, and Tumakuru districts. Some political leaders have opposed this project,’’ the chief minister said.
He said there is no proposal before the government to denotify the lakes but some people, after joining hands with builders, have been spreading rumours on the denotification of the lakes. “One should not politicize the developmental works,’’ he said.
Some people have been politicising, including whenever a farmer commits suicide or anyone dies during communal violence, everything and they are not hesitated even to do politics on dead bodies. “These leaders have not done anything good for society while they were in power. Now, the same leaders are making false allegations against the government,’’ he said.
Coming down heavily on BJP leaders, the chief minister said the BJP leaders have been making tall claims on their so-called Mission 150. “How will BJP leaders achieve the target without having the blessings of voters? Congress considers voters as God. BJP leaders have done nothing for the welfare of Dalits when they were in power but now they are shedding crocodile tears for Dalits,’’ he said.
On the project to fill up tanks and ponds in Kolar district, he said around 40 per cent of the work has been completed and treated water is expected to flow into the lakes and ponds in Kolar district by November or December. “The government is spending Rs 1340 crore for this purpose,’’ he said.
Stating that Congress government had walked the talk as far as promises made during the last Assembly elections, he said that he was confident of Congress retaining power in the next Assembly elections scheduled to be held in April/May 2018.
He said the work to fill up tanks and ponds in Bengaluru rural district would be completed in 18 months.
Challenging the Centre to waive off agricultural loans availed from nationalized banks, he said the state government has waived off agricultural loans up to Rs 50,000 by each farmer from cooperative societies and banks. “I challenge the Central Government to waive off the agricultural loans given by nationalized banks. The BJP leaders have no moral right to talk on behalf of farmers. The Centre has waived off Rs 81,000 crore worth loans given to industrialists but not doing anything when it comes to waiving off agricultural loans. It shows the negligence of BJP leaders towards farmers,’’ he said.
The chief minister said the Congress government has enacted a new Act for the welfare of Scheduled Caste and Tribes and provided reservation in promotions for employees and reservation for SC/ST contractors.
