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Karnataka cabinet hails verdict; approves new science, IT policy
Karnataka welcomes the Supreme Court's dismissal of Tamil Nadu's challenge to the Mekedattu dam project, seeing it as a step forward for the state.
The Karnataka government on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s rejection of the Tamil Nadu government’s challenge to the proposed Mekedattu dam project on the Cauvery river. The plea was dismissed by the court as “premature”, in light of the project’s draft pre-feasibility report’s status as under the consideration of the Central Water Commissionand the Cauvery Water Management Authority.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting in Bengaluru, state law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said,““The state has finally received the go-ahead to move forward with preparatory work,”Patil said. He also congratulated chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar over their effort in pursuing the project.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar also hailed the verdict, calling it a “victory for Cauvery riparian states”. Speaking to reporters at the Vidhana Soudha, he said, ““The Mekedatu project benefits Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka as it would help us release the stipulated amount of water to Tamil Nadu. As a result, this SC ruling is as much a victory for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry as it is for Karnataka.”
Patil also announced the cabinet’s decision to schedule the winter session of the state legislature from December 8 in Belagavi.
He also announced the approval of a wide-ranging policy and infrastructure package, including the Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2025–2030 and the Karnataka Information Technology Policy 2025–2030. Under the new IT Policy, the government plans to invest ₹445.5 crore over five years to strengthen Karnataka’s digital economy, said Patil, adding that the policy framework sought balanced growth by nurturing tech clusters beyond Bengaluru, including Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Tumakuru, Kalaburagi, and Shivamogga.
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