DK Shivakumar refutes reports of govt imposing 'green cess' on water bills in Karnataka
"There is no such proposal (of green cess on water bills). It is all bogus news the BJP is trying to create," DK Shivakumar told reporters on Thursday.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has refuted the reports claiming that the state government is considering imposing a green cess on water bills in towns and cities, and termed it "bogus news" spread by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Also Read - This Bengaluru restaurant from Koramangala packed Swiggy's first ever food order in 2014
"There is no such proposal (of green cess on water bills). It is all bogus news the BJP is trying to create," he told reporters on Thursday.
This comes after reports claimed that in order to save the eco-sensitive Western Ghats, Karnataka's Forest Department will be proposing a green cess of " ₹2 or 3" to raise a corpus fund meant for the conservation of Western Ghats.
The Western Ghats are not only a bio-diversity site but are also the source of many rivers including Tunga, Bhadra, Kaveri, Kabini, Hemavati, Krishna, Malaprabha, Ghatprabha and other rivers. These rivers supply water to many urban and rural areas in the state.
The Western Ghats play a significant role in intercepting monsoon winds, resulting in widespread rainfall across the country.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party offered ₹50 crore to the Congress MLAs to "destabilise" the Karnataka government.
Also Read - Elon Musk spreading misinformation online? His own AI model Grok says ‘yes’
Backing his remark, he told reporters on Thursday, "I said what they did previously. I said they tried to destabilise the govt by offering ₹50 crores, in which they couldn't succeed."
Being asked about Siddaramaiah's allegation, DK Shivakumar said, “We will speak with CM and come back to you (media) on this.”
Stay updated Karnataka Election Results 2024 and with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Bengaluru. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and more across India . Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.