Karnataka: CM DK Shivakumar urges Centre to clear Mekedatu, drop Kasturirangan report and align CSR norms

Bengaluru: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday urged the union government to speed up clearances for the Mekedatu reservoir project, withdraw the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats, and align CSR rules with the state guidelines to upgrade 1,000 government schools.

Shivakumar placed three major demands before the Centre, underscoring the need for cooperative federalism to address pressing developmental challenges while speaking at the inauguration of the Centre of Space and Modern Optical Sciences (CoSMOS) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysuru.

On the Mekedatu project, the CM noted that the Supreme Court had already settled the legal position and urged the Centre to grant final statutory approvals so the drinking water project can move forward without further delay.


On the Western Ghats issue, Shivakumar said the state legislature had unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Kasturirangan report following public consultations across affected regions.

Flagging rising urban migration driven by education and employment, which climbed from 31% in 2002 to 47% in 2026 and could touch 70% over the next two decades, Shivakumar requested the centre to issue advisories aligning corporate CSR spending with Karnataka’s CSR guidelines. This alignment, he said, would help upgrade 1,000 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools.

Highlighting CoSMOS, the CM thanked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for bringing the facility to Mysuru and congratulated the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the University of Mysuru for establishing it. "If Bharat Van nurtures the future of our planet, CoSMOS will nurture the future of our young minds," he said.

Underscoring Karnataka’s foundational role in India’s space missions—from Aryabhata to Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1 and Gaganyaan—he highlighted the Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2025-30, aimed at backing startups, industry-academia collaboration, and space applications in agriculture and disaster management.

Earlier in the day, Shivakumar submitted a memorandum to the PM pressing for structural reforms in Metro financing alongside urgent central assistance for drought-hit farmers, sugarcane growers, and Western Ghats residents.