Farmers demand white paper on Rs. 5000 crore irrigation scam and water robbery in Vidarbha Water Convention (Paani Parishad)
NAGPUR: May 24, 2011
A Vidarbha Water Convention (Paani Parishad) convened by MPCC president Manikrao Thakre and chaired by Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Union water resources minister Salman Khursheed at Indian farm suicide epicenter at Yavatmal on May 26 has given the opportunity to demand the white paper on alleged massive corruption in the prime minister relief package fund allotted to increase irrigation facility to the tune of Rs.5000/- core siphoned out by the NCP leader Ajit Pawar and farmers will press the Maharashtra Govt. official stand on on going irrigation water robbery by diverting the water for over 60 private power plants in the region.
"We will request Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to ask centre to arrange C.B.I. enquiry on graft charges leveled by PAC and CAG and serious irregularities and advance payment under AIBP scheme by VIDC (Vidarbha Irrigation Dev. Corpn.) done by then Maharashtra Irrigation Minister Ajit Pawar and now as Power Minister givng the permission to use more than 40% water reserved for irrigation to the power plants expected to generate 40,000 MW electricity, are actually required in Vidarbha where a huge backlog in irrigation already exists," kishor tiwari of (VJAS) Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today.
“We are thankful to MPCC president Manikrao Thakre who has convened this Vidarbha Water Convention (Paani Parishad) as this will provide the dais to the dying vidarbha cotton farmers to raise issues related to hostile functioning and failure of administration to increase irrigation facility in west vidarbha and micro and major level as all small and big irrigation project since 2006 after visit of prime minister to vidarbha as there is drop in assured water supply to dry land farmers or area cultivated under irrigation has not increased more over maximum cotton farmers suicides as per official figure 5236 have reported in this period and ground water level has been dropped by to 160 meter as hydrology department monitoring the situation due to uncontrolled mining to save rain sensitive crop like Bt.cotton which are too serious to tolerate’ Tiwari added.
“This is fact that NCP, that shares the power with Congress, is perceived as aggressively encouraging power plants in Vidarbha promising the company cheap land and water are floated laws as related portfolios of power, finance and water resources are held by NCP hence vidarbha agrarian crisis is not addressed hence NCP ministers holding portfolios of power, finance and water resources should be changed with out delay and we will demand in 26th may Water Convention (Paani Parishad) provided we are given the proper opportunity to speak and that is remote” Tiwari said .
(VJAS) Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti strongly support MPCC president Manikrao Thakre statement that “when over 63% of the state's electricity is generated in Vidarbha already. When there is a shortfall of less than 5000 MW where is the need to clear proposals for new power plants that put together will generate 40,000 MW. These plants will get coal from other states, use up water of this region denying it to farmers and then sell most of the power outside the state and stand of partymen in the region were against reserving water for power plants at the cost of agriculture. "Under the provision of Article 371(2), governor is allocating huge funds to Vidarbha for removing irrigation backlog now on physical basis. All this effort will be a waste if all the water is allowed to be lapped up by power plants .," . Vidarbha farmers will support MPCC president Manikrao Thakre to stop on going AIBP fund misuse and water robbery for power plants ,Tiwari said
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