For effectively utilising Karnataka’s share of water in the Cauvery basin, the State Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a slew of canal modernisation projects estimated at more than Rs. 400 crore in Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts.A Cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, cleared several canal modernisation works in the Cauvery basin following talks with F. Nariman, senior counsel, appearing for Karnataka in the Cauvery water disputes, a few days ago.
Addressing presspersons after the Cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra said that decisions on modernisation works of canals and distributory channels were taken after the government discussed the issue with Mr. Nariman.
A decision was also taken to provide government guarantee to the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited to raise Rs. 100 crore from financial institutions to take up various pending works.
Modernisation works of Ramaswamy canal in Srirangapatna in Mandya, Rampura canal in Chamarajangar district, Visvesvaraya Canal in Mandya and Kabini right bank canal would be taken up and the estimated cost of these works would be more than Rs. 330 crore.
‘To ensure full use of river waters’
He said that the State government has not taken up canal repairs in the Cauvery basin on account of various reasons and Mr. Nariman has suggested to the government to go ahead with the projects to ensure utilisation of the State’s share of the Cauvery waters.
The Cabinet also cleared an Inland Fisheries Policy for encouraging farmers to take up inland fisheries under the Jalasamvardhana project.
A decision has been taken to provide grant-in-aid to physical training teachers in 99 private pre-university colleges with student strength of more than 100.
He said that physical training teachers of all those colleges that received grant-in-aid between 1987 and 1995 would benefit.
It has been decided to procure sugar from government sugar factories in Mandya and Bhadravati at a price of Rs. 2,800 per quintal to supply the commodity to below the poverty line families under the public distribution system.
The Cabinet has given administrative approval for 80 works (Rs. 504.65 crore) taken up under the Prime Minister’s Grameen Sadak Yojana during 2013-14.
A post-graduation centre of the Karnataka State Women’s University would be set up at the Government Women’s College in Mandya. A sum of Rs. 30 crore would be sanctioned for this, Mr. Jayachandra said.
