Following a reprieve from the Supreme Court on the implementation of the Mekedatu project, the Karnataka Government has issued a directive to form a team under the director of the Karnataka Engineering Research Station (KERS) for the rapid implementation of the balancing reservoir project at Mekedatu.
The team will include a deputy chief engineer and supporting staff, and will operate from Ramanagara in Bengaluru Rural district. The order dated December 11 states that a dedicated project office for the Mekedatu project will be established in Ramanagara.
On November 18, Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar chaired a meeting on the project’s implementation. This came days after the SC rejected Tamil Nadu’s plea, which opposed the Mekedatu project.
During the meeting, it was decided to establish an office headed by a chief engineer and another by a superintending engineer for the swift execution of the Mekedatu Project. However, approval from the Finance Department is required for the establishment of new offices and creation of posts, which would take considerable time.
Therefore, the government has entrusted the responsibility of implementing this project to the KERS director, said a release from Shivakumar’s office.
KERS has been instructed to form a team consisting of its existing officers and staff to execute the Mekedatu project. The team includes one executive engineer, three technical assistants, six assistant engineers, and one assistant administrative officer, among others.
The Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) will make the necessary arrangements for the project office building. This team will function under the managing director of KNNL, and the maintenance of the office, basic infrastructure, and other expenses will be borne from KNNL funds, the order said.
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The Karnataka Government also directed the departments concerned to hand over all relevant documents for the execution of the Mekedatu project to the KERS director.