GADAG: On a whirlwind tour of Gadag district on Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated several development programmes and performed bhoomi pooja for some works.

He symbolically dedicated 5,110 farm ponds, inaugurated Indira Canteen, agriculture diploma institute and 20 MW solar park, laid the foundation stone for Government Engineering College, indoor stadium and 24x7 drinking water project. The Chief Minister also declared Ron taluk of the district open defecation-free.

After laying the foundation stone for an engineering college at Nargund, Siddaramaiah told reporters: “Without the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the long-standing Mahadyi water dispute cannot be solved and Kalasa-Banuri Nala Project cannot be implemented. If at all state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa manages to find a solution before December 15 as he claimed, I will be thankful to him.” At a public rally held after inaugurating a `1,120 crore Malaprabha canal modernisation project, Siddaramaiah questioned the contribution of the BJP for the development of the state.“They have only given bicycles and sarees. We have given many ‘bhagyas,” he said.

“Modi always says acche din aayenge. But, kab aayenge acche din. Kabhi nahi aayenge. We have fulfilled majority of our promises. Even today, I am ready to come forward to settle Mahadayi issue and we can solve it out of the Tribunal. I have written letters to Goa and Maharasthra chief ministers and I have also written letter to the PM,” he said.