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Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the government had, as promised, allocated Rs, 33,000 crore for irrigation in the three budgets presented after the Congress came to power. A sum of Rs. 30,000 crore would be allocated in the next three budgets that he would be presenting during his tenure.
He added that his government was focussing on micro irrigation projects as they would cover double the area with the same quantity of water required under flow irrigation. Responding to the demand for upgrading the Malaprabha canal, which would require Rs. 1,300 crore, he promised to include it in the forthcoming projects.
Referring to the drinking water project, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that even after nearly seven decades of Independence, all the villages in the state did not have clean drinking water. “It would require Rs. 45,000 crore for providing potable water to all the 29,000 villages in the State,” he said.
On his visit to the “jinxed” Mundargi, Mr. Siddaramaiah made an appeal to the people to shun superstitions and not fall prey to the tactics employed by astrologers.
Polytechnic
Referring to the demand for establishing Alur Venkatarao Polytechnic by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil and MLA B.R. Yavagal at Hole Alur, Mr. Siddaramaiah assured them of considering it seriously. On Ron MLA G.S. Patil’s demand for eight-hour power supply daily, the Chief Minister said that it was not possible. “But I will take steps to supply eight-hour power supply on alternate days,” he said.
Public Works Minister H.C. Mahadevappa listed out the programmes of the government and Parliamentary Secretary Ramakrishna Doddamani spoke. Ministers Vinay Kulkarni and Manohar Tahasildar, the former Chairman of Legislative Council Viranna Mattikatti, the former MLAs D.R. Patil and G.S. Gaddadevaramath were present.
