YADGIR, November 21: The State government has prepared an ambitious project to provide potable drinking water, and cover every single house in the State under the underground drainage system (UGD), at a cost of Rs. 25,868 crore in the next eight years.
Speaking after inaugurating a drinking water project in Gurmitkal district on Wednesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan, all 213 towns and cities in the State would receive potable drinking water and covered under the UGD system.
The State government had prepared a detailed project report and estimates for achieving this target. During the current year, the government would be spending Rs. 8,380 crore to provide drinking water and UGD facilities in different parts of the State.
He paid rich tribute to Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge for originally making the proposal for the drinking water project. It is this kind of pro-people work that made Mr. Kharge invincible and gained him enough support to win not only nine Assembly elections from Gurmitkal, but also the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat.
Stressing the need to provide special attention to the development of Hyderabad Karnataka region, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the NDA government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had originally rejected the demand for amending Article 371; it is because of leaders such as Mr. Kharge that the UPA government conceded the demand.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the State was fully committed to developing the HK region.
