The Hogenakkal water project, kept on hold by Tamil Nadu till the Karnataka elections, will be completed as per the schedule announced by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Local Administration Minister M K Stalin told the state Assembly on Wednesday.

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The chief minister had stated that the project would be commissioned by 2012 and this time frame would be adhered to, Stalin said replying to a debate on the demands of grants pertaining to his departments.

Following protests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the drinking water project, Karunanidhi had announced to put it on hold till an elected government took over in the neighbouring state after the next month's assembly elections.

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He had, however, said that the project would be implemented at any cost. Stalin also announced that the second desalination plant to meet the water requirement of Chennai would come up at Nammeli village near Mamallapuram. The Centre had announced Rs 1,000 crore for the project and Rs 300 crore had been earmarked in it in the Union Budget, he said.