Mahabalipuram, August 20: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar emphasized the advantages of the Mekedatu reservoir project during the Southern Regional Council meeting. He stated that this initiative would significantly benefit farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
In his closing address at the 31st regional meeting in Mahabalipuram, Shivakumar urged the public to resolve the long-standing disputes over the sharing of Cauvery river water.
He mentioned that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu spoke to him while he was en route to the meeting. He stressed the urgency for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to settle their mutual disputes promptly.
Shivakumar presented the proposed project as an opportunity for regional cooperation rather than conflict. He asserted that every drop of water associated with the Mekedatu project would greatly assist farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, stating, “If you help us, we will help you.”
He pointed out that rivers do not recognize political boundaries. He appealed to the southern states to resolve all water-sharing disputes through dialogue, cooperation, equality, transparency, and mutual support.
Shivakumar also indicated that Karnataka would present its detailed position on projects like Krishna, Upper Bhadra, Mekedatu, and interlinking of rivers at the council. Additionally, he advocated for the protection of southern India’s political representation in any future delimitation processes.
He urged the council to ensure that the current number of Lok Sabha seats remains unchanged, emphasizing that the region’s representation should not diminish in any manner.
Shivakumar stressed the need for the prompt implementation of women’s reservation. Given the current state of Parliament, he argued that reliance solely on population control or delimitation should not be the approach.
He noted that the five southern states contribute 33% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), despite comprising only five states. Specifically, Karnataka contributes about 9% to the GDP, while its population accounts for just 5.5%.
He highlighted that Karnataka’s share of the divisible tax pool under the 15th Finance Commission has decreased from 4.7% to 3.6%, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹65,000 crores over six years. However, the 16th Finance Commission has increased this share to 4.131%. He called for full cooperation in light of this development.
Shivakumar also requested several major central projects, including the Bengaluru-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor, AIIMS in Raichur, and a special package for Kalyana Karnataka.
He expressed concerns regarding health, education, coastal erosion, farmer welfare, rural banking, mineral taxation rights, and drug trafficking. He sought collaboration from both the central and state governments to improve these sectors.
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