Chief minister DK Shivakumar with Jal Shakti minister CR Patil in New Delhi
New Delhi/Bengaluru: The state govt has revised the estimated cost of the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir to Rs 16,745 crore, an 86% increase from the Rs 9,000 crore estimate made in 2019, with chief minister DK Shivakumar seeking speedy appraisal and clearance of the project from Centre. In a separate meeting with defence minister Rajnath Singh , Shivakumar sought permission to redevelop 10 slums spread across 44 acres of defence land in Bengaluru. The state has offered land of equal value outside the city in exchange. At a meeting with Union environment and forests minister Bhupendra Yadav in Delhi, Shivakumar submitted a memorandum seeking time for the state to conduct the survey and assess recommendations of the high-level committee before boundaries are finalised under Kasturirangan report. The state has opposed Centre’s proposed ESA boundaries, arguing that they will impact livelihoods of people living there.
Shivakumar raised the issue at his meeting with Jal Shakti minister CR Patil on Monday in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking clearance of the revised detailed project report.