Karnataka: Upper Bhadra scheme to be state's first national project, declares CM Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the Upper Bhadra scheme will become the state's first national project.

Talking to reporters before leaving for the Hosadurga function on Saturday, he said this scheme has got the approval of the PIB and the Union Jal Shakti Minister has been requested to get it passed in the Union Cabinet.

Once the approval comes through, the grants will come to start the work. All efforts are being done in this regard as the Upper Bhadra is set to become the state's national project. Rail connectivity to Chitradurga via Tumkur, Davangere will be started.

The CM said the Tumkur-Davangere railway line has been reviewed and directions are issued to acquire land for the project. Once this work is done, then all steps will be taken to start the project. Necessary funds will be released.

Asked about the languishing of the acquisition of 1.7 acres for the Upper Bhadra scheme for the last two years, Bommai said there are problems of a few farmers and it will be resolved soon.

On the Cabinet expansion and representation for Chitradurga district, he said he will be going to Delhi soon. Ruling out any step-motherly attitude for the district, Bommai said it has not been possible to give representation to Chitradurga district due to the changed Political scenario and this time efforts will be made to give representation, he added.

Bommai on Saturday stressed bringing reforms in the judicial system so that adjudication of water disputes by tribunals is done speedily in order to avoid wastage of water sources.

Speaking at the inauguration of the golden jubilee celebrations of Hosadurga Court organised jointly by the Department of Judiciary and Bar Association of Hosadurga here on Saturday, he said judges and advocates must be in a position to understand the relevance of court rulings.

"According to the Interstate Water Disputes Act, a tribunal is constituted when any state suffers injustice. Once the tribunals are constituted it will take decades for the disputes to get resolved," Bommai said.

"Many disputes in Karnataka are stuck in tribunals for two to three decades, and they have remained vexed without any solution. This will result in a waste of water resources. If no changes are brought in this direction, it will pose problems for the government, judges, and judiciary," Bommai added.

He said justice must not become the most challenging thing to get in society but must be received easily. Now, fast-track courts and special courts are constituted with the help of advanced technology. But there is a need for litigants to get proper legal guidance and cooperation at the grassroots level. If society is honest, any shortage in the judiciary does not make a difference. But now there is injustice prevailing everywhere and the intervention of the judicial system is needed.

Bommai said disputes are increasing in society and people are spending more time to get justice. This has become a bane to the country's progress. Judiciary is one of the pillars of democracy and in the current social system ensuring justice is quite challenging. But India has the best legal system and the need of the hour is to strengthen this system. As change is continuous, it requires reforms too, he added.

The CM said the Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice A S Bopanna has come for this function and it is very rare that a judge of the country's highest court has come to a taluk-level court. This shows that even the Supreme Court cares for the magistrate court as most of the litigations of farmers come to taluk courts.

( With inputs from ANI )