Mangaluru : Member of Parliament, Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the party will organise, ‘Raitha Chaithanya Yathre’ led by State president Pralhad Joshi near Brahmashri Narayana Guru Mandir, BC Road in Bantwal on Friday September 11 at 3 pm.

The Yatre would be held to wake up the state government that was in deep slumber. State president Prahlad Joshi will guide the yathre, he said.

He also said, a letter has written to Union Minister for Water Resources, Uma Bharti to intervene in the Yettinahole issue and has sought an appointment with the minister to discuss the the matter.

Addressing media persons at the District BJP office here on Tuesday, he said, “Though the North Karnataka regions want water, the first priority should be given to provide drinking water to Mangaluru and other parts of the district. The government is trying to implement the project in a hurry for political reasons.

Extending his support to the protests against the water project, the MP declared that he will voluntarily participate in all non-political protests against the Yettinahole project, including a protest at Uppinangady on September 15,” he added.

Nalin said, “the State government should have convened a meeting of general public, elected representatives and experts before commencing the project. Moreover, without obtaining environment clearance, how can they start the project and what is the source of money for this Rs 13,000 crore project?, he questioned.

However, he denied to comment on Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda’s statement regarding the project. However, he said that though the proposal on Yettinahole project was passed in the Assembly during the BJP tenure, it need not be implemented. The government can proceed after taking public into confidence. The Congress government quashed many BJP schemes soon after coming to power,” he stated.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his team has utterly failed to check farmers’ suicide in the State. The government has failed to boost the morale of farmers. The Central government has released Rs 6,000 crores to sugarcane farmers. But, the state government has failed to send an estimate of loss incurred by the farmers and factories. The BJP government had taken various measures to instil courage among farmers during the fruit rot disease(Koleroga), he stated.

Ministers are more concerned about their ministry at times when the state is reeling under drought. The Chief Minister has not represented the state at Neeti Ayog meeting and didn’t submit a proposal regarding the drought condition in the State. The State has failed to submit a complete report on Kasturirangan recommendations to the Centre in time, he accused. MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, former MLC Monappa Bhandary and former minister Krishna J Palemar were present.