CM: Upper Krishna Project Phase 3 Compensation to Be Finalized Next Week

Swift Summary:

• karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the compensation package for the third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) will be finalized next week after consultations, urging farmers to avoid court cases to prevent delays.
• The project involves increasing the height of Almatti Dam from 519.6 m to 524.25 m, enabling storage of 130 tmc ft.of water and irrigating approximately 6.6 lakh hectares under Phase III.
• A formal gazette notification for Phase III is awaited, which would facilitate execution work.
• Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar urged leaders and legislators to agree on single-phase land acquisition without appeals, emphasizing swift completion.
• Both rehabilitation policies and equitable compensation packages are being negotiated with farmers’ leaders and legislators.
• Discussions have taken place at state and central levels,including meetings with Union ministers; consent from all stakeholders has been prioritized.
• D.K. Shivakumar expressed optimism about securing a notification soon due to persistent efforts at multiple levels despite inter-state coordination challenges with Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

indian Opinion Analysis:

the progression toward finalizing the third phase of the Upper krishna Project underscores its critical importance for irrigation expansion in Karnataka’s arid regions like Kalaburagi, Yadgir, vijayapura, and Bagalkot districts. By boosting water storage capacity through increasing dam height, this initiative could considerably enhance agricultural productivity across nearly 6.6 lakh hectares.

Key challenges include reconciling stakeholder interests-especially those concerning land acquisition compensations-and navigating inter-state riparian disputes that may affect timelines. Effective resolution strategies without prolonged legal entanglements will determine project efficiency while underscoring cooperative federalism principles critical in executing large-scale infrastructure projects like UKP.

Persistent dialog between state leaderships suggests strong intent to prioritize irrigation growth during this term itself-a move that highlights Karnataka’s focus on addressing agrarian needs while managing socio-political complexities arising from competing claims over shared resources.

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