In the midst of the Cauvery-water-sharing issue, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed on Monday that the federal government has not granted approval for the Mekedatu Project and that Tamil Nadu people are making unnecessary disputes.
In a series of tweets on X, Karnataka CM said “The BJP government at the centre has not given permission to the Mekedatu project and Tamil Nadu has no right to bring on dispute this project. 177.25 TMC water allocated to the state should be released to Tamil Nadu in normal years. It is said that in the time of hardship, the Sutra of hardship should be followed. But the people of Tamil Nadu are creating disputes unnecessarily.”
Siddaramaiah went on to say that Tamil Nadu BJP leaders should petition the Cauvery Water Management Authority to approve the Mekedatu project because it is overseen by the central government.
“The state BJP leaders should appeal to the Cauvery Water Management Authority to give permission to the Mekedatu project as it is under the government at the centre @BJP4India. The state BJP said in the all-party meeting that they will cooperate with the state government on the Cauvery issue, and outside they are doing politics on the same issue,” Siddaramaiah added.
“Providing drinking water to the people of Mysore and Bangalore districts is the first priority as per the water policy. In the meantime, the interests of the farmers should be protected. Tamil Nadu has filed a case in the Supreme Court and the government will make the state’s stand clear.
“No one should politicize the welfare of the farmers of the state for any reason. In this matter, the Prime Minister’s time has been requested for the meeting of the all-party delegation, but no reply has been received from him, so let the state BJP MPs fix the time for the meeting with the Prime Minister,” Siddaramaiah said.