Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday, 20 August made a strong case for the Mekedatu reservoir project at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, arguing that the proposed dam would benefit not only Karnataka but also farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. His appeal came as part of a broader push for regional cooperation on the long-running Cauvery water dispute.

Shivakumar's Pitch on Mekedatu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reportedly spoke to Shivakumar on the sidelines of the meeting, stressing the need for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to settle their differences. Shivakumar echoed that sentiment in his address. 'Every drop of water from the Mekedatu project will help farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Help us help you,' he said, framing the contested project as a vehicle for inter-state solidarity rather than a flashpoint.

He added that rivers did not recognise political boundaries, and called on southern states to transition from adversarial water-sharing disputes to cooperation grounded in equity, transparency, and mutual respect. Karnataka, he said, would place its detailed positions on the Krishna, Upper Bhadra, Mekedatu, and river-linking projects before the council.

Delimitation and Political Representation

Shivakumar also used the platform to raise concerns about the South's political future under any forthcoming delimitation of parliamentary constituencies. Southern states, he argued, should not be penalised for having successfully curbed population growth in response to national policy directives.

He urged the council to back a resolution freezing the current number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to the region, ensuring that representation was not reduced either numerically or proportionately. On women's reservation, he said implementation should proceed immediately within the existing parliamentary strength and must not be made contingent on a population census or delimitation exercise.

Fiscal Federalism and Karnataka's Share

Turning to finances, Shivakumar pointed out that the five southern states — with roughly 20 per cent of India's population — contribute nearly 33 per cent of the country's GDP. Karnataka alone generates 9 per cent of national GDP while accounting for just 5.5 per cent of the population.

He said Karnataka's share in the divisible tax pool had fallen from 4.7 per cent to 3.6 per cent under the 15th Finance Commission, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹65,000 crore over six years. While the 16th Finance Commission raised the state's share to 4.131 per cent, Shivakumar called for full restoration of the earlier allocation.

Infrastructure and Other Demands

Shivakumar also sought central support for a Bengaluru-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor, an AIIMS in Raichur, and a special development package for Kalyana Karnataka. He raised concerns spanning healthcare financing, education, coastal erosion, farmers' welfare, rural banking, mineral taxation rights, and drug trafficking, calling for deeper Union-state collaboration on each front.

With the Cauvery dispute showing no signs of resolution and delimitation looming on the national agenda, the positions staked out at Mahabalipuram are likely to shape southern states' collective bargaining with the Centre in the months ahead.