BJP will prioritize completion of Varahi project: Uppoor

Udupi: Addressing the media, Raghavendra Uppoor, general secretary of the Udupi district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Raitha Morcha, said that the Congress government had neglected the Paschima Vahini project, which envisages construction of dams against west-flowing rivers in the coastal districts on Wednesday, May 9.

Uppoor said that only Rs 100 crore of estimated Rs 1,364 crore for the project had been allocated in the last two budgets of the Congress government. But no amount had been released for the actual construction of the dams. This project is essential as it meets both agricultural and drinking water needs of the district.

The construction of the Varahi Irrigation Project is going at a very slow pace. As a result, farmers are unable to use the water from Varahi to irrigate their fields. Though four decades have passed since the project was sanctioned, only its first phase work has been inaugurated.

A large section of its work is still under construction. “If BJP was voted to power, the party would give priority to the completion of the Varahi Irrigation Project,” he said.

He also alleged that the Congress government had not taken any interest in reviving the ailing Brahmavar Cooperative Sugar Factory. The foundation stone for both the Varahi Irrigation Project and the Brahmavar Sugar Factory was laid on the same day four decades ago.

The factory started its operations early, shut down in 2004 amid mounting losses. He promised that BJP would give priority to reviving the factory.

Mr. Uppoor told his electorate that the State unit of BJP had released its manifesto recently and it held several schemes for the welfare of the farmers.