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New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted a memorandum to fulfill several long-standing demands of the state, including setting up of AIIMS in Raichur, releasing over Rs 2,100 crore for flood relief and clearing crucial irrigation projects.
The meeting covered five important areas outlined in the document submitted to the Prime Minister.
A statement from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said the Chief Minister presented a strong case for setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raichur, an aspirational district in the Kalyana Karnataka region.
The memorandum described the area as having “poor” health and education indicators and a high population of SC/ST and backward classes, stressing “the dire need for a high-quality referral medical centre”.
It was highlighted that the State has already submitted a detailed project report, identified land, and established a Government Medical College in Raichur to create a basic ecosystem for the national institute. AIIMS is expected to serve multiple districts and catalyze socio-economic development.
An important issue of discussion was the alleged financial shortfall in the Centre’s share for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). The Karnataka government claimed that while it has achieved more than 86 per cent functional household tap connections, the Central government has a cumulative short release of Rs 13,004.63 crore till 2025-26.
The memorandum said no central funds have been released for the current financial year (2025-26), while Karnataka has already provided Rs 1,500 crore from its budget to prevent work stoppage.
“Bills worth Rs 1,700 crore are pending, while Rs 2,600 crore are in the pipeline, thereby urgently requesting release of the remaining funds,” the statement said.
“Following the recent farmer agitations, the state government informed PM Narendra Modi that it has found a solution by mandating an additional payment of Rs 100 per tonne of sugarcane, of which the state will have to bear half the cost (Rs 50),” it said.
“However, the memorandum emphasizes that this is a temporary solution and the responsibility for a permanent solution rests with the Centre. It made three key requests: immediate revision in the frozen minimum support price (MSP) for sugar, which is currently Rs 31 per kg; assured offtake of ethanol from Karnataka’s distilleries; and a central notification empowering states to fix harvesting and transportation costs,” the statement said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to resolve the impasse on several irrigation and drinking water projects.
“Urged the Center to direct the Central Water Commission (CWC) for expeditious approval of the Balancing Reservoir Project (Makedatu Project) on Cauvery; requested Gazette notification of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) award pending for more than a decade.
“Demands release of central assistance of Rs 5,300 crore announced in Union Budget 2023-24 for Upper Bhadra. Seeks Forest and Wildlife clearance from Ministry of Environment for these drinking water projects for Hubli-Dharwad region in respect of Kalasa-Bandura project,” the statement said.
Describing the “severe natural disaster” caused by unprecedented rains and river floods this year, the state submitted two memorandums seeking assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The floods damaged crops in 14.5 lakh hectares, affected 19 lakh farmers and destroyed thousands of houses, roads and schools.
The financial assistance sought includes: Rs 614.9 crore under ‘Rescue and Relief’ to meet the shortfall in crop input subsidies; Rs 1,521.67 crore under ‘Recovery and Reconstruction’ to restore damaged public infrastructure.
The statement concluded that the state government hoped for positive consideration of its demands to address both the immediate crisis and long-term developmental needs.
–IANS
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