• Due to criminal negligence of Gujarat govt, millions of Cusec water of Narmada flows into the Sea while people have to run around for water. • Planned length of Narmada Canal is of 74,626 kms and despite 19 years of BJP rule 37841.08 km of canal is yet to be constructed. • Contractors are minting money in the construction work. • Every year farmers are losing Rs 500 crore because of corruption in Dhrangadhra branch canal. • Attempts are being made to denotify the command area of irrigation to benefit industries. • Giving 28 thousand hectare of irrigated land to industry is against the Narmada Tribunal Award. • BJP govt is dangling carrot of Kalpsar project for last 19 years. • The government claims to develop both Kalpsar and Dholera area and port while the fact that only one can be developed. • In 19 years neither Kalpsar has come up nor Dholera is developed, but people of Gujarat have certainly been fooled. • BJP which is in power for 19 years has done injustice to Kutch. • Government is not at all interested in taking Narmada water to Kutch. • Scarcity affected Lakhpat, Abdasa and Nakhtrana talukas have to strive for water. Congress MLA and national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil while participating in discussion on Narmada Development, Irrigation and Water Supply said that due to criminal negligence of Gujarat govt, millions of Cusec water of Narmada flows into the Sea while people of Saurashtra, Kutch and north Gujarat have to run around for water. He pointed out that 9 acre million feet of water is available from the project through which 17.92 lakh hectare land can be irrigated. But only 2.03 lakh hectare has irrigation facility. He said that planned length of Narmada Canal is of 74,626 kms and despite 19 years of BJP rule 37841.08 km of canal is yet to be constructed. What is interesting, he said that the construction of the canal does not require any permission. Gohil pointed out that Congress government in its time had completed 90 percent of the earth work, but BJP could not build canal because it did not provide sufficient money and used the project for publicity only. Launching a scathing attack on corruption in the Narmada canal works, he said that he would site only one example which is sufficient to expose corruption. He said that a tender was floated for Dhrangadhra branch canal for 124.93 kms. The estimated cost was 239.23 Cr. The work was to be completed in 18 months. In all eight contractors had applied. The first two lowest were rejected on the ground of poor work record, L3 (Lowest third) was not given work on the ground that the contractor already had another work on hand. The L4 was ready to work at the rate of L3. However, for reasons best known to the authorities, the tender was split in two, the price was jacked up by Rs 45 Cr and the work was given to L4 bidder of earlier contract, Madhucon Project Ltd, at the rate of L4. This is despite the fact that the company was willing to work at the rate quoted by L3. The work which was to completed within 18 months of year 2010, started in 2012. He said that this caused a loss of Rs 20,000 per acre to farmer and by most conservative estimates the loss amounted to Rs 500 Cr. He alleged that great injustice is being done to Kutch regarding Narmada water. Referring to Narmada water reaching Anjar taluka of Kutch, he said that this show of Narmada water was not to benefit people of Kutch. He said that considering the physical structure of Kutch region, pipeline from the middle of the region would have easily taken water all over the Kutch. But the main canal is being built along coastal region just to benefit some industrialists. He pointed out that SC gave permission to raise the height of the dam so that Kutch and Bhal region could get Narmada water. Nothing has been done to link Kutch dams with Narmada canals, a scheme Congress had planned. He pointed out that Narmada Tribunal and Narmada authority had decided the command area of Gujarat. Attempts are being made to denotify the command area of irrigation to benefit industries, he said asserting that this was against the Narmada Tribunal Award. He said that 28thousand hectare of land has already been denotified. Turning 13 thousand hectare of land of Dholera into Dholera SIR Project was injustice to farmers. Referring to the much publicized Kalpsar project, he said that for last 19 years, the BJP was misleading people about the project. He said that every years crores were being spent on feasibility report and every now and then new parameters of Kalpsar are fixed. He pointed out that the Dholera project was announced after Kalpsar. However, geographical situation of the two projects is such that only one can be developed. He said that BJP which is in power for 19 years has done injustice to Kutch. Government is not at all interested in taking Narmada water to Kutch. Scarcity affected Lakhpat, Abdasa and Nakhtrana talukas have to strive for water. He said that when government had declared semi scarcity in parts of Kutch it is duty of the government to provide water. He praised Relief Commissioner and MD of Water Supply Board for their visit to remote areas of Kutch. shaktisinhgohil/press-release/press-note-eng-dt14072014-on-narmada/
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:58:21 +0000
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