Bhubaneswar: Members of Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) in the Odisha Assembly raised ruckus on wedneday over what they allege that the state government has cheated the farmer’s community in Bargarh by the name of Gangadhar Meher Lift Irrigation Project. They claim that the state government has made no fund allocation in the supplementary budget on 30 November.This, BJP terms, is disrespect to Gangadhar Meher.
Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik siad this is “not a fact.” He said,”in the annual budget for 2017-18 an amount of Rs 1.50 crore has been allocated under pre-project activities of other pipeline projects including Bijepur Lift Irrigation Project, which is one of the 58 projects.”
On Wednesday when the house sat for the day’s business and the question hour was to start then BJP legislator Pradip Purohit led a rush to the well with budget booklets in hand shouting slogans against the government. They were showing that there was no budgetary allocation for the Gangadhar Meher Lift Irrigation Project in the supplementary budget.
Speaker Pradip Amat amid the commotion adjourned the house till 11.30 AM and again till 3 PM after CM Naveen Pattnaik presented his points on the issue in the Zero Hour.
The lift irrigation project in Bijepur with under ground pipeing system is one of a kind in India with an estimated cost of Rs1246 croe. It has been set to be commissioned in March next year.
The Government has already created a working division at Bijepur with one Executive Engineer, three Assistant Executive Engineers and six Junior Engineers with other support staff to look after this project, said CM Naveen Pattnaik responding to the opposition’s charges.
“The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1246.56 crore. The project will provide irrigation to 25600 hectares in Kharif and 7000 hectares in Rabi in the drought affected Bijepur, Sohela and Barapali blocks of Bargarh district,”
The fracas in the house on Wednesday over the project broke out when it was found that there was no allocation of fund for the project in the supplementary budget.
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