Bangalore, July 15: An all-party delegation constituted by the Karnataka Government will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding the Tamil Nadu to halt its Rs 1334 crore Drinking Water Project at Hogenakkal, across Cauvery until removal of apprehensions raised by Karnataka, Karnataka Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said today.
Replying to JD(S) member Abdul Azeem on the controversial Hogenakkal issue in the Legislative Council, he said the Centre had given permission to Tamil Nadu to raise loan from a Japanese firm for the project.
He said Karnataka had raised several issues against Tamil Nadu Government’s Hogenakkal Drinking Water Project, which was planned across the river Cauvery at a site bordering both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Denying the charge that the State Government was keeping quiet over the project despite Tamil Nadu Government’s announcement to complete the project by 2010, the Minister said ”we are monitoring the progress of the Hogenakkal Project very keenly and there is no question of sacrificing the interests of the people of the state.” On Janata Dal (Secular) members’ allegation that the State Government was not doing anything to stop Tamil Nadu from executing the project except writing letters to Tamil Nadu and the Centre, Mr Bommai said the State Government had objected over the place of the project, planned by Tamil Nadu and appealed the Union Government to take the initiative to conduct joint survey.
—-Agencies