Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is likely to fight the battle for his party against alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the controversial bill that allows diversion of irrigation water for industries.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is likely to fight the battle for his party against alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the controversial bill that allows diversion of irrigation water for industries.
The Congress, seeking the BJP’s help, wants to refer the bill to a select committee to thwart its implementation before it gets cleared in the council next week.
Although Sunil Tatkare is minister for irrigation, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar (NCP) has a major say in the irrigation sector policy-making.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Manikrao Thakre will lead a delegation of MLAs to the chief minister on Monday to complain against the decision which is likely to affect the cotton growing Vidarbha adversely. The region is already reeling under am agrarian crisis because of acute water shortage.
“We will fight the NCP tooth and nail on this bill,” said a senior Congress leader.
The state Congress legislature coordinator Sanjay Dutt confirmed, “Thakre will be meeting Chavan to discuss the water bill. The Congress fears that if the bill is allowed to pass in state council in its present form then it will be detrimental for the irrigation sector. It wants the government to address the apprehensions raised by the members.”
In a collective move, the elected Congress members want the government to send the bill to the joint select committee. The Congress argument is that the water bill was passed at 1.30am in the state assembly in haste without allowing a proper debate.
“When the issue was raised in the winter session, the NCP minister had assured us that the matter will debated and not rushed. However, minutes after the assembly passed the bill on 50% reservation for women in local bodies and the members left for home, the government rushed through the water bill. Only four Congress MLAs and ministers were present in the assembly,” said a senior MLA.
The apprehension raised by the Congress is that water from upper Wardha which is useful for land irrigation would be diverted for industries. This may prove fatal for the farmers.
MLA Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) said, “The bill is dangerous as it will empower the group of ministers (GoM) to legally divert irrigation water for industries. The water from the Upper Wardha dam which is meant for irrigation projects will now be diverted for Sophia thermal power project promoted by Indiabulls in Amravati district in Vidarbha.”
A sources in MPCC said, “If we don’t stop this bill, we will take a huge beating in Vidarbha in the next election. Our MLAs fear this water issue could cost them their constituencies if not tackled immediately.”
Of the total 62 seats in Vidarbha region, the Congress won 24 seats and NCP just four.
Notwithstanding the special state package (Rs10,000 crore) to Vidarbha, the suicides in the cotton belt have not stopped. The government fears that if irrigation water is diverted for industries it would aggravate the agrarian crisis.
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