Siddaramaiah calls on PM Modi

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lead an all party delegation from Karnataka on Monday when they called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intervention in favor of an out-of-Tribunal resolution on Mahadayi River water issue.

The delegation sought the Prime Minister's intervention for an out-of-tribunal settlement on the Mahadayi River water issue, which concerns the states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. The matter is currently before a tribunal. The Prime Minister suggested that a consensus in this regard would be necessary among various political parties in all three states, before an attempt can be made to resolve the matter through mutual consultations, out of the Tribunal.

The delegation raised the issue of severe drought in Karnataka, especially in the northern parts of the State. The Prime Minister said a central team is being sent to the state to assess the situation, at the earliest.

The delegation raised the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers, due to the fall in sugar prices. Prime Minister said these problems were being faced by sugarcane farmers across the country, and the Union Government is a taking a number of steps to address them.

The delegation also requested for a hike in the import duty of silk to 30 percent, to protect the interests of the mulberry growers in the State. The Prime Minister said this request would be examined.

Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda, and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the meeting.