CM Siddaramaiah submits memorandum to PM Modi with key demands for Karnataka

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outlining key demands and pending issues concerning Karnataka.

He handed over the letter after receiving the PM at HAL Airport, along with Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

Among the main demands, Siddaramaiah flagged the long-pending Railway Coach Factory announced in the Railway Budget, noting that the State has already offered 1,123 acres of land. He said reviving the project would boost industrial growth and employment in the backward Kolar region.

He also sought inclusion of Mysuru in the proposed high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Chennai and urged early release of funds for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project. The Chief Minister further pressed for the Bengaluru-Mumbai High-Speed Rail Corridor covering districts in Kittur and Kalyana Karnataka.

The memorandum called for release of pending central funds, including Rs. 17,554 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs. 2,890 crore for Gram Panchayats, Rs. 5,495 crore in Finance Commission grants and a special grant of Rs. 6,000 crore  for Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah also sought approval for key projects such as Mekedatu and Upper Bhadra, notification of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II award and declaration of Upper Krishna Project (Stage III) as a national project.

Other demands included wildlife clearance for the Kalasa Nala project, fair water allocation under river-linking projects, inclusion of the State’s 56% reservation policy in the Ninth Schedule, annual support of Rs. 5,000 crore for Kalyana Karnataka and setting up PSUs in North Karnataka districts.

He also urged early clearances for the Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project and reiterated the demand for an AIIMS in Raichur.