By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: Venturing into the Save River Kharasrota Battle, BJP National VP in Charge of Delhi and Assam and former 4th times MP, from Odisha, Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda on Wednesday came down heavily on State Government for its arrogant behaviour and mafia raj in Kendrapara’s Rajakanika-Aul over lifting of water from the river to feed neighbouring Bhadrak district, having 3 major rivers like Baitarani, Salandi and Mantei as part of Government’s Basudha Scheme project, worth Rs 892 Crore , tender work of which awarded to controversial Hyderabad based firm, Megha Engineering India Pvt Limited. Police have arrested dozen over local people opposing the project.
In a media statement, BJP National VP Panda said “ ” It is unfortunate that a project to divert water from the Kharasrota river in Kendrapara has been forcibly started by the state govt without public hearings. Kendrapara is facing depletion of groundwater and the public is understandably concerned, which is why they should have been first taken into confidence and consulted rather than bulldozed,”.
“And in any case such projects have a major environmental impact And public hearings are a must. The government of Odisha is behaving arrogantly and like a mafia rather than as peoples representatives. For the larger interest of the public, the state government should reconsider its stand and engage the public with humility,” Panda added.
BJP VP Jay Panda’s hard hitting statement came following a high level visit by Party’s State unit to the disputed river side at Gadagadi Ghat connecting twin blocks under Aul Assembly segment of the district held by BJD’s Pratap Deb.
Left parties, Congress and BJP leaders have opposed the move of the State Government to provide drinking water from the river in Kendrapara district to neghibouring Bhadrak district. All the three parties have opposed after sending delegations at different times to the project site to know the ground situation.
Former Aul MLAs Congress’s Debendra Sharma and BJP’s Dola Nayak demanding to construct an in-stream barrage over Kharasrota River and supply the water to Bhadrak district. Diversion of water from the river will result in water scarcity in Kendrapara both Nayak and Sharma, leading the Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti, demanded.
On Tuesday , a team of BJP leaders had visited the project site and held discussions with members of Save Kharasrota Sangram Samiti which is protesting the project for a long time.
BJP State General Secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said, “I feel this project is unnecessary. Bhadrak district has multiple sources of drinking water. In spite of this, taking water from far off Kharasrota River in Kendrapara district which is struggling with depleted groundwater level is baffling us.”
With the execution of the project, people of the local area will not be affected it will also put an impact on the natural habitat of Bhitarkanika National Park, said Harichandan.The BJP leader urged the State Government to conduct a public hearing as soon as possible and stop the project work immediately.
The project has been approved by the State government under Basudha Yojana to supply drinking water to Chandabali, Tihidi, Basudevpur and Dhamnagar blocks besides 47 wards in Basudevpur municipality, Dhamanagar and Chandabali NACs of Bhadrak district. However, local farmers in Kendrapara’s Rajkanika and Aul are opposing the project.
