Bengaluru, Sep 16 (IANS) In a move that might set off a political slugfest between Maharashtra and Karnataka, the Siddaramaiah government declared on Tuesday that it has made a historical decision of prioritising the rapid implementation of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) Phase-3 and finalised the land compensation amount.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement at a press conference held in the Vidhana Soudha’s Assembly hall after a special Cabinet meeting related to the Upper Krishna Project.

“Under Upper Krishna Project Phase 3 and as per the court’s verdict, permission has been granted to increase the Alamatti Reservoir’s height from 519.6 metres to 524.256 metres,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced.

This announcement comes amid Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement that his state will move the Supreme Court if Karnataka rises the height of Alamatti Dam.

CM Siddaramaiah further stated that by increasing the height, approximately 75,000 acres of land may get submerged by Alamatti’s backwaters. This can provide irrigation to around 5.94 lakh hectares (approximately 14 to 15 lakh acres) of land. UKP Phase 3 is a large-scale irrigation project that will supply water to farmers’ lands and improve their standard of living.

“The Congress government always works according to its word. The government has prioritised the rapid implementation of the UKP Phase 3 project and has taken a historic decision that can bring prosperity to the state,” said CM Siddaramaiah.

In Tuesday’s special meeting, discussions were held with farmers, farmer organisations, concerned legislators, and ministers, and important decisions were made regarding the project. “The Cabinet decided that compensation of Rs 40 lakh per acre should be provided for irrigated land taken over by the government, and Rs 30 lakh per acre for dryland,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

“Approximately 51,837 acres of land is needed for canal construction. Of this, 23,631 acres have been acquired and construction work has begun. The Cabinet resolved that Rs 25 lakh per acre should be given as compensation for dryland and Rs 30 lakh per acre for irrigated land acquired for canal construction. Farmers who lose land due to canal construction will be beneficiaries of the project,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

“It was decided to provide compensation for the acquired land within three financial years. Farmers are willing to donate land for this meaningful project, which will benefit the people of the state. This is a historic decision. In 2023, under the previous BJP government, the compensation amount was too low, and no farmer agreed to part with land, which stalled the project,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

Previously, in Belagavi, a meeting with North Karnataka legislators and farmer representatives discussed providing a one-time Consent Award, but the compensation amount was not fixed.

“The Congress government always acts as it claims. The government gives priority to the rapid implementation of schemes, but the Centre has not yet issued a notification related to this project. Many times, meetings have been held with the Centre, urging it to issue the necessary notification for the project’s swift implementation,” CM Siddaramaiah slammed.

Answering questions on the financial burden of compensating farmers, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the project requires 1,33,867 acres of land, of which 75,563 acres will be submerged, and 51,837 acres are needed for canal construction.

“For rehabilitation and resettlement, 6,469 acres are required. Around 20 villages and some town wards will be submerged, and a historic decision has been taken to provide compensation for a total of 1,33,867 acres. For this purpose, an annual expenditure of around Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore will be incurred. In total, the project is estimated to cost around Rs 70,000 crore,” stated Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.

The canal construction has already begun, and no issues will arise due to the Centre’s notification, he stated.

Law and Tourism Minister H.K. Patil, and Excise Minister R.B. Timmapur were present on this occasion.

–IANS

mka/rad