While there is no dearth of funds for Railway and national highway projects in the State, Karnataka’s irrigation projects have been in limbo for many years as the Centre has not released the announced funds, Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta has said.

He was apprising the State government’s Special Representative in New Delhi T.B. Jayachandra and Vice-Chairman of the State Policy and Planning Commission, B.R. Patil, about the release of Central government funds for State development works for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 at a meeting held on Tuesday.

“The announced funds from the Centre are not being released for water resources and minor irrigation, and groundwater development projects. Thus, the State’s irrigation projects have been in limbo for many years,” he said.

Although the Central government announced ₹5,300 crore in the 2023-2024 Budget for the Upper Bhadra project, funds have not been released.

The neighbouring Telangana government was responding positively to the Krishna and Tungabhadra irrigation projects, while the Andhra Pradesh government was taking a negative stance, which was why the irrigation project was delayed, he said.

Mr Gupta informed Mr Jayachandra and Mr Patil that although the Union Water Resources Minister called a meeting, no one from Andhra Pradesh participated. “The States of  Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are not responding positively to Karnataka’s projects. We should pressurise the Central Government to ensure that the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments agree to Karnataka’s projects,” he said.

Mr. Jayachandra said that necessary financial assistance should be provided to the five food parks being set up in the State and work on the projects should be expedited.

He instructed the officials that work on the food parks in Kalaburgi, Hiriyur, Jewargi, Malur and K.R. Pet — that had been stalled for a decade — should be completed at the earliest.

He said that he would exert pressure on the Union Minister to get the pending funds from the Centre for the Jal Jeevan Mission project.

Mr. Patil said that all national highways adjacent to the State’s border areas should be developed within the stipulated time frame.

He informed the officials that if any projects were pending for funding from the Centre, he and Mr. Jayachandra would meet Union Ministers to get the funds released.