BENGALURU: Ahead of the legislative assembly session in Karnataka and impending cabinet expansion and rejig, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi is set to visit New Delhi. This will be his third visit to the national capital in less than six weeks. This time around, Jarkiholi has timed his New Delhi visit to correspond with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s expected meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and the BJP central leadership. On his official tour plan, meeting Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Ecology Prakash Javadekar over the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project will be the priority. 

Ramesh Jarkiholi on Monday visited the proposed project site at Ramanagara district’s Hanoor and Muggoor forest range. A detailed project report for the Rs 9,000-crore initiative is ready and awaiting final clearances, he said. “I will meet Union Minister Prakash Javadekar and push for clearances from the environment and forest departments,” Jarkiholi told reporters after inspecting the site.

He added that he would be visiting New Delhi to request the Centre to expedite clearances. The minister’s office said he is scheduled to travel on Wednesday and meet various leaders, till Friday. BJP Sources suggest that Jarkiholi is lobbying for the post of DyCM, which was ‘assured’ to him before he joined the BJP last year. He visited the national capital on August 2 and August 14.