Chennai, Aug 20 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the release of Rs 5,300 crore announced by the Centre for the Upper Bhadra project, a lift irrigation scheme, saying the delay was affecting its implementation.
Raising the issue at the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council here, Shivakumar said the funds were announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the tenure of the previous BJP government in Karnataka but had not yet been released.
“The finance minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) had announced Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project in the Union Budget during the (Basavaraj) Bommai government. Even after being declared in Parliament, this money has not been allocated, thereby affecting the project. I request you to kindly expedite the release of the funds,” he urged Shah, according to a statement issued by the CMO.
Shivakumar raised concerns over the manner in which corporate social responsibility funds were being utilised by private companies and public sector undertakings.
He suggested that a policy or rule should be framed to allow the state government to decide how CSR funds are utilised based on local priorities.
“They do business in one state and invest elsewhere. We have priorities in education and health, and as such, the state government should decide where they spend and how,” he said.
According to the CMO statement, Shah partially agreed with Shivakumar’s suggestion and asked him to engage with the heads of government-owned corporations.
“Ever since we came to power, we have not made any political appointments in PSUs, as only IAS officers are heading them. You have a good rapport with the officers; you should speak to them. I will also talk to them,” Shah said.
On the issue of delimitation raised by Shivakumar, Shah said it was a political issue raised by the Congress and should not be mixed with the deliberations of the Southern Zonal Council.
“It is a political issue. Let’s not mix it here,” Shah said, according to the statement.
Shivakumar strongly objected to PSUs auctioning land allotted to them by state governments, saying such land should be returned to the government if the beneficiary institution becomes non-functional or ceases operations.
The issue came up during a discussion on the utilisation of Defence land.
Shivakumar, however, raised a broader concern over land allotted by state governments to PSUs and other institutions free of cost as part of the nation-building process being subsequently sold or auctioned without the government’s consent.
“This morning, I got a call from my officials that the Industrial Training Institute, which has become non-functional, is auctioning land. We give land to PSUs, and when they are shut down or go out of business, they auction the land. Such lands should be returned to the government, as we have given them the land. As a state government, we will go to court and stop this and also not give permission to develop these lands,” he said.
The chief minister said there were several instances of beneficiaries disposing of land parcels without obtaining the concurrence of the appropriate state authorities.
He termed such disposal a misuse of resources provided to institutions in the larger interest of nation-building and said state governments should have a say in the utilisation or disposal of such land.
Responding to Shivakumar’s concerns, Shah said the issue was a matter of policy and should be raised with the Union government, according to the statement.
The Upper Bhadra Project is a major lift irrigation scheme being implemented in central Karnataka. It envisages lifting 17.40 TMC of water from the Tunga to the Bhadra in the first stage, followed by the lifting of 29.90 TMC from the Bhadra to a tunnel near Ajjampura in the Tungabhadra sub-basin of the Krishna basin.
The project aims to provide micro-irrigation to 2,25,515 hectares of land across the drought-prone districts of Chikkamagalur, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Davanagere. PTI AMP SA
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