Congress to launch padayatra from Mekedatu on Jan 9

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Congress Party will launch a 10-day 75 km padayatra from Mekedatu in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagar district to Kengeri in Bengaluru Rural district from January 9, 2022 to pressurize the state government to take up the controversial Mekedatu project without delay. said KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar.

He said the padayatra would begin on January 9 and end on January 19. It will pass for five days through rural areas and five days in urban areas. The Congress has been fighting for starting the work on the Mekedatu project for a long time. The Water Resources Minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government, M.B. Patil had got a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared and he (Shivakumar) as his successor in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, had given permission for it. The state proposes to construct a balancing reservoir which would benefit both farmers and Bengalureans for agriculture and drinking water respectively. It would also be possible to generate 400 MW of power.

Though, this project would be implemented with Karnataka’s share of water, resources and land, it would benefit both the states, he added.

Shivakumar said though the Congress Party has taken the lead for the padayatra, it was apolitical and people from all walks of life including farmers, workers and artists could participate.

At one point of time, the Tamil Nadu government had promised to fund the scheme but Karnataka rejected the offer and said it will take up the project with its resources. The money that would be invested in the scheme would come back once power generation starts. This would also solve drinking water problems in Bengaluru.“I have appealed to everyone to join the proposed padayatra in the interest of Karnataka”, he added.