K'taka Deputy CM to meet PM Modi over Maharashtra govt's objections to Alamatti dam height

Bengaluru, Jun 3 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he would seek a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil to discuss the objections raised by the Maharashtra government to raising the height of Alamatti dam.

This follows Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' recent letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing concern that raising the height of the dam could lead to flooding in Maharashtra’s Sangli and Kolhapur districts.

“I will seek time from PM and the Jal Shakti Minister once CM Siddaramaiah writes a reply to the objection raised by the Maharashtra CM,” he told reporters here.

He also said CM Siddaramaiah will respond to Maharashtra CM's letter within two days.

"I have already shared my inputs with the CM. We will also share CM’s letter with all the MPs so that they can take it up in the Parliament. We will seek an appointment with the PM after that. It is important that all of us safeguard state’s interests in unison,” he said in a statement issued by his office.

Shivakumar said Maharashtra CM Fadnavis is an intelligent person, who had supported the project in the past.

"I am surprised he (Fadnavis) wrote this letter now. Managing floods within a state is the responsibility of the state governments,” he added.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar inspected the venue for Kempe Gowda Jayanthi celebrations on Magadi road here.

"We have decided to celebrate this year’s Kempe Gowda Jayanthi at this venue. The land allotted to Kempe Gowda Development Authority is nearby. We will lay the foundation stone for the Kempe Gowda Development Authority on June 27 and celebrate his Jayanthi. In the allotted land, a museum on Kempe Gowda will also come up,” he added.

Outlining details of the celebrations, he explained, “Our local leaders have suggested swapping the allotted land with the land of Social Welfare Department as it also has an auditorium. A railway line will also pass through it and a station would be built here. This will be taken up in the Cabinet meeting.” Asked if the land was too far from the city, he replied, “Bengaluru has expanded now, where else can we allot the land? No one is willing to part with Golf course and Race Course.” PTI AMP ROH