Mysuru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar Friday used PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the state to press the Centre on three key demands: expediting clearances for the Mekedatu project, withdrawing the Kasturirangan report recommendations on Western Ghats and aligning corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding with Karnataka’s plan to upgrade 1,000 govt schools.Addressing the inauguration of CoSMOS (Centre of Space and Modern Optical Sciences), Shivakumar said cooperation between Centre and state was essential to address major developmental challenges.On Mekedatu, he said Supreme Court had already delivered its verdict on the proposed balancing reservoir and urged the Centre to grant the remaining statutory clearances to take the drinking water project forward.On Western Ghats, he said the state legislature had unanimously rejected the Kasturirangan report recommendations after consultations with people in affected regions. He urged the Centre to respect local sentiments and withdraw the Centre’s proposal on ecologically sensitive areas to protect livelihoods.Seeking support for public education, Shivakumar asked the Union ministry of corporate affairs to issue advisories aligning CSR initiatives with Karnataka’s CSR guidelines. The state aims to upgrade 1,000 govt schools into Karnataka Public Schools. He said migration for education and employment had increased from 31% in 2002 to 47% in 2026 and could reach 70% over the next two decades if the trend continued.Earlier, describing CoSMOS as a landmark for Mysuru, Shivakumar thanked Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for bringing the project to the city. “If Bharat Van nurtures the future of our planet, CoSMOS will nurture the future of our young minds,” he said, adding that a developed India needed both a greener planet and scientifically minded youth.He said Karnataka had played a significant role in India’s space programme, from Aryabhata to Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1 and Gaganyaan. “India’s rockets may rise from launch pads, but the ideas, engineering and scientific talent behind many of these missions have deep roots in Karnataka,” he said.Calling for wider access to scientific infrastructure, he asked the department of science and technology to explore setting up a similar facility in North Karnataka. “A student’s opportunity to touch the sky should never depend on whether the child is born in Bengaluru or in a remote village,” he said.The CM said the mobile digital planetarium project had reached more than 19.2 lakh students and teachers across the state.Shivakumar also raised the issue of pending drought relief assistance with PM Modi and urged the Centre to expedite the release of funds. He said the state had received the second-lowest rainfall in 70 years and losses were estimated at Rs 62,482 crore. Karnataka had sought Rs 22,400.6 crore under National Disaster Response Fund. He also urged the Centre to address concerns of sugarcane farmers, pointing out that the minimum support price of sugar had remained unchanged at Rs 31 per kg since 2019.
