The Karnataka cabinet headed by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday green lit multiple infrastructural projects amidst the recent power crisis in the state that has even reached the Supreme Court.
The cabinet appeared confident of holding on to power, though Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar was asked by the court to decide on the resignation of the rebel MLAs of the ruling combine.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Krishna Byre Gowda, who is the Rural Development Minister, said, “We will table the finance bill tomorrow. Party whip will be issued today. The opposition has every right to ask for counting of votes for the finance bill. Let them do it. If the opposition wants they can move a no-confidence motion as well. We will prove the majority.”
He added, “If the finance bill is not passed, then it will automatically mean that the government does not have the majority.”
Speaking on the Jindal issue, Byre Gowda said, “The cabinet sub committee has not taken any decisions regarding Jindal land deal. The committee has asked for all documents and correspondence related to the issue. It is still being reviewed and no decisions have been made.”
In one of the major decisions, the cabinet has decided to withdraw the amendment of the Karnataka Municipal Acts, 2013 which was pending before the Centre for more than three years. The state government will now look into the BS Patil committee recommendations for alternatives based on which the Bill was initially passed.
Whitetopping works as part of the Nava Bengaluru scheme -- the work for existing tenders that were already issued -- will go as per schedule. For three different whitetopping projects throughout the city, they are allocated Rs 147 crore, Rs 211 crore and Rs 207 crore respectively.
The cabinet has approved a project to supply treated water from Hebbal Nagavara valley to 24 lakes in Bagepalli at the cost of Rs 70 crore and another Rs 50 crore has been allocated for construction of underground drainage system and STP in the areas surrounding Hesarghatta and TG Halli lakes to stop entry of untreated sewage into these water bodies. Rs 30 cr for the clean up of Chikkabanavara lake, and Rs 80 crore for the clean up of Ganigarahalli lake has been allocated.
Other than this, the cabinet also approved Rs 750 crore for construction of canal on right bank under upper Krishna project phase 2.