New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, presenting a memorandum pressing for fulfilment of several long-standing state demands, including the establishment of an AIIMS in Raichur, the release of over Rs 2,100 crore in flood relief, and the clearance of crucial irrigation projects.
The meeting covered five critical areas outlined in the document submitted to the Prime Minister.
The statement from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office stated that the Chief Minister made 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 region as having “sub-par” health and education indicators and a high populace of SC/ST and Backward Classes, stressing on 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. The AIIMS is expected to serve multiple districts and catalyze socio-economic development.
A significant point 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 over 86 per cent functional household tap connections, the central government has a cumulative short release of Rs 13,004.63 crore up to 2025-26.
The memorandum stated that for the current fiscal year (2025-26), no central funds have been released, while Karnataka has already advanced Rs 1,500 crore from its own budget to prevent work stoppages.
“Bills worth Rs 1,700 crore are pending, with another Rs 2,600 crore in the pipeline, prompting an urgent request for the release of balance funds,” the statement said.
“Following recent farmer agitations, the state government informed PM Narendra Modi that it had brokered a solution by mandating an additional payment of Rs 100 per tonne of sugarcane, with the state bearing half the cost (Rs 50),” it said.
“However, the memorandum stressed that this is a temporary fix and placed the onus for a permanent solution on the Centre. It made three key requests: An immediate revision of the frozen Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar, currently at Rs 31 per kg; an assured offtake of ethanol from Karnataka’s distilleries; and a central notification empowering states to fix harvesting and transport costs,” the statement said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to break the logjam on several irrigation and drinking water projects.
“Urged the Centre to direct the Central Water Commission (CWC) for expeditious clearance of the balancing reservoir project (Makedatu project) on the Cauvery; requested the gazette notification of the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) award, pending for over a decade.
“Sought the release of the central assistance of Rs 5,300 crore announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget for Upper Bhadra. Asked for forest and wildlife clearances from the Environment Ministry for these drinking water projects for the Hubballi-Dharwad region in connection with the Kalasa-Bandura project,” the statement said.
Detailing the “severe natural calamity” from unprecedented rains and riverine floods this year, the state submitted two memoranda seeking assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The floods damaged crops across 14.5 lakh hectares, affecting 19 lakh farmers, and destroyed thousands of houses, roads, and schools.
The financial aid sought includes: Rs 614.9 crore under ‘Rescue and Relief’ to cover the shortfall in crop input subsidies; Rs 1,521.67 crore under ‘Recovery and Reconstruction’ for restoring damaged public infrastructure.
The state government expressed hope for a positive consideration of its demands to address both immediate crises and long-term developmental needs, the statement concluded.
(IANS)
