New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, leading an all-party delegation, on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention for an out-of-tribunal settlement of the Mahadayi water matter and other issues of the southern state.
The Mahadayi water issue, which concerns Goa and Maharashtra apart from Karnataka, is pending before a tribunal.
A PMO release said Modi suggested that a consensus would be necessary among various political parties in all three states before an attempt can be made to resolve the matter out of tribunal through mutual consultations.
The union cabinet had approved the proposal for setting up Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2009.
The delegation also raised the issue of “severe drought” in Karnataka, specially in the northern parts of the state. At this, the prime minister assured that central team is being sent to the state to assess the situation at the earliest.
The delegation raised the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers, due to the fall in sugar prices but Modi noted that these problems were being faced by sugarcane farmers across the country and the central government was taking a number of steps to address them.
The delegation also sought a hike in the import duty of silk to 30 percent to protect the interests of the mulberry growers in the state.
“The prime minister said this request would be examined,” the release said.
Union ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, and Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha Shri Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the meeting.
New Delhi: Central team to be sent to Karnataka to assess drought: PM
New Delhi, (PTI): A central team is being sent to Karnataka soon to assess the drought situation there, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an all-party delegation from the state led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah which raised the matter along with a number of other issues.
The delegation also sought the Prime Minister’s intervention for an out-of-tribunal settlement on the Mahadayi River water issue, which concerns the states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. The matter is currently before a tribunal.
Modi suggested that a consensus in this regard would be necessary among various political parties in all the three states, before an attempt can be made to resolve the matter through mutual consultations, out of the tribunal, a PMO statement said.
The delegation raised the issue of severe drought in Karnataka, especially in its northern parts.
Responding to this, the Prime Minister said a central team is being sent to the state, at the earliest, to assess the situation, the statement said.
The delegation also raised the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers, due to the fall in sugar prices.
To this, Modi said these problems were being faced by sugarcane farmers across the country and the Union government is a taking a number of steps to address them.
A request was also made for a hike in the import duty of silk to 30 per cent to protect the interests of the mulberry growers in the state and the Prime Minister said it would be examined.
Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the meeting.