Phase 3 of Upper Krishna Project gets cleared

BANGALORE: The state Cabinet which met here on Tuesday accorded administrative approval for the third phase of the Rs 17,207-crore Upper Krishna Project (UKP-III) to utilise 130.5 tmc of Krishna river water, Minister for Higher Education Dr V S Acharya said on Tuesday.Briefing the media, he said that the UKP-III was envisaged to irrigate over 5.30 hectares of parched land and would benefit farmers of Bijapur, Bagalkot, Koppal, Gulbarga and Raichur districts.“The total project is expected to submerge about 76,000 acres in Bijapur, Bagalkot and Koppal districts and would irrigate over 14 lakh acres in north Karnataka,” Acharya added.Minister for Water Resources  Basavaraj Bommai, who also present, described the Cabinet’s decision as “historic” and a new year gift to the people of Bagalkot and Bijapur districts.He said that state government is planning to evolve a new rehabilitation and land acquisition policy by invoking provisions of proposed central draft legislation.Bommai informed that both HUDCO and NABARD have came forward to extend financial assistance to execute the project. “Preliminary discussions with the two premier funding agencies have commenced,” he said.The state government will approach the Union government to declare the UKP-III phase project as a ‘national project’.Other Key Cabinet DecisionsApproval to second phase of World Bank-aided Rs 1,750 crore KSHIP project to develop 831 km of state highways. Nod to release grant of Rs 40 crore for Suvarna Soudha for installing light and sound system. Rs 452 crore grant approved for rapid bus transport system for Hubli-Dharwad. Rs 438 crore grant approved for drinking water supply project for 12 cities Rs 132 crore grant approved for upgradation and remodelling of Chamaraja Reservoir and its canal system in Mysore.Released Rs 11.90 crore for development of inner roads in Jnanabharathi Campus of Bangalore University.