BJP seeks independent audit of Aland water supply project

Stating that the claims of success of the Shirpur model in Aland taluk are at odds with the ground reality, BJP party worker Basavaraj Shastri has demanded an independent inquiry into the project, claiming that several villages in the taluk continue to face acute shortage of drinking water despite crores of rupees being spent on it.

At a press conference in Kalaburagi on Monday, Mr. Shastri disputed the claim of success, pointing out that if the water problem in the taluk had really been solved, the issue would not have figured prominently in the recent Task Force meeting, nor would there have been a demand for an additional ₹4.37 crore to address the drinking water shortage.

He said even Sarasamba, the native village of MLA BR Patil, gets drinking water only once in 10 days. The demand to release water from the Narayanpur canal due to insufficient water in the Bhima river flow is another indication of the prevailing water scarcity in Aland taluk, he said.

Mr. Shastri said 24 gram panchayats in Aland taluk continue to face acute shortage of drinking water. Since the beginning of summer, several villages have become dependent on water supplied by tankers, he said.

He said that despite spending crores of rupees under the Shirpur model project, there was no significant improvement in the ground water level. “The project has become a mere bill-raising exercise with no tangible benefit to the people,” he said.

Seeking greater transparency, Mr. Shastri demanded that the work done on the Shirpur model be subjected to an independent technical audit and that details of the expenditure be made public.

He also said that the officials did not provide the information required under the Right to Information Act, after which the matter was taken up before the State Information Commission.

Published – 29 Jun 2026 19:29 IST