'Asked for more funds for Bengaluru, irrigation projects': DK Shivakumar after meeting PM Modi
According to Shivakumar, Bengaluru contributes the second highest tax to the national exchequer but the city hasn’t got anything in the recent Union budget
Even as the Congress in Karnataka is battling allegations of corruption in two scams, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, who is on a visit to New Delhi, told reporters that he has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for more funds for Bengaluru and for the state's irrigation projects.
Speaking to reporters at Karnataka Bhavan after meeting PM Modi, he said, “We had appealed for a GIFT city like development in Bengaluru. Since that request was not considered positively, we have sought more funds for tunnel project, signal-free corridor, development main roads and storm water drains in Bengaluru as well as funds for irrigation projects.”
According to Shivakumar, Bengaluru contributes the second highest tax to the national exchequer but the city hasn’t got anything in the recent Union budget. "During Manmohan Singh’s period, the state had got funds for the construction of flyovers at Electronics City, Hebbal and Nelamangala under JNNURM,” he noted.
“The Prime Minister said only one GIFT city can be set up in the country. Hence, we have requested for Central assistance in many of the mega projects that we are planning to take up in Bengaluru. We have impressed upon the Prime Minister that Bengaluru needs better infrastructure as lakhs of people are coming from outside putting stress on the infrastructure,” he explained.
Upper Bhadra project
Further, Shivakumar said that they had brought up the issue of the Centre not releasing any funds in spite of the previous budget committing ₹5,300 crores for the Upper Bhadra project. "The PM has promised to take it up in the upcoming Cabinet meeting. We have also updated him about the more water released to Tamil Nadu in the month of July than specified. We requested him to intervene in the Mahadayi issue, to which he suggested resolving the issue among ourselves. We have however submitted a request for the Centre’s intervention,” he said.
Historic quantity of water to TN
“A whopping 2.25 lakh cusecs of water has been released to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. This is the highest ever quantity of water released to Tamil Nadu. Currently, 1.75 lakh cusecs of water are flowing to Tamil Nadu. A red alert has been declared in the Cauvery basin, people need to be cautious. We have updated the Union minister for water resources about the historic water release to Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Questioned about JD(S) withdrawing its support for the padayatra organised by the BJP against MUDA irregularities, he said, “I am not aware of this development. We are prepared for the padayatra. I will talk about it in Bengaluru.”