Water to firms at centre of Mahanadi row
Comparatively a new State, Chhattisgarh is way ahead of Odisha in providing irrigation facility to its farmers. They have built a series of check dams and barrages on Mahanadi river basin in last so many years as the concept of big dam projects have been rejected the world over. All of a sudden Mahanadi getting dried up is a theory which has no takers. It seems, the Odisha Government is shedding crocodile tears to appease the farmers by shifting the blame onto its neighbour. Instead of following the good work as example the Government of Odisha is at loggerheads with its neighbours. The Government has asked a detailed report from the Chhattisgarh Government about construction of dams and barrages in the catchment area of river Mahanadi. A meeting chaired by the Secretary of the Central Water Resources Department was held in New Delhi where the Chief Secretaries of both the States were present. Although the meeting aimed at resolving the impasse they have agreed to share information to resolve the issue including the project on river Kalo, but the hidden agenda is something else. Both the States have promised supply of water to industries at the MOU stage and cannot back out on frivolous reasons by blaming each other. Supply of water to industries being the principal requirement, the committee will help both the States to fulfil the prime objective. The Chhatishgarh Government is serious to have sufficient water in its canals to ensure water for both irrigation and industry. They cannot ignore the interest of the farmers who are supposed to be their vote base and hence the controversy. If Mahanadi’s perennial stream covers water requirement of the industrial sector as well as the farm sectors in both the
States, then there will be no dispute at all. The JCB constituted to resolve the water sharing issue will just do that to end the fiasco created by two States ruled by two political opponents. On this issue, both Odisha and Chhattisgarh are but birds of a feather.
Kathapala another Nagada in Sundargarh
The shocking story of malnutrition in Odisha does not end with Nagada. In Bonai subdivision of Sundargarh district, there is a village named Kathapala. The village is inhabited by 10 families of Bhuyan community and its population is only 52 out of which the number of male members is 12, female 11, old man three, old woman one and children 25. The village has no school, no hospital and no Anganwadi centre. This village which comes under Kasada panchayat is also bereft of drinking water facility. The women and children are victims of malnourishment and the Government has no information about the plight. Village Kathapala, situated on the foothills of PandaraPathar, is at around 1,000 feet height from the sea level. Surrounded by the reserved forest area, the village has no concrete road even when the panchayat headquarters is only 5 km away. Officials of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency and the Paudi Bhuyan Development Agency have never visited these villages. Crores of rupees sanctioned for their welfare is being siphoned off by those officials and the Government is a mute spectator. All the families are said to be included in the food security scheme but eight families have so far not received their ration cards; the adults do not understand what malnutrition is and the children are left to their fate. Will the team of IAS four (as it was in the case Baliguda block victims) will go to lahunipada block and recommend remedial measuresIJ
Tit-for-tat: Naveen Patnaik a late riser
It all began with Narendra Modi’s visit to Paradip. Two MlAs of the ruling party went on a rampage near Tirtol. Cars were damaged when one of them wielded lathi on the BJP workers. The other MlA barged into the police station and attacked the cops. The violent actions were at the behest of the BJD MP, Ministers and the MlAs. In Bargarh, the attack on the Union Textiles Minister was spearheaded by the local MlA. The local Minister and the MP abetted the violence. The scene has now moved on to Manmunda where BJP workers have been thrashed by the infuriated BJD leaders. FIRs have been lodged in all cases but there is no action because the CM as the supremo controls the Home portfolio. The Opposition is right when it says that law and order situation of the State has gone to dogs and the ruling party is resorting to violence out of frustration. Similar is the allegation against the Water Resource Department of which the CM is the head. The party’s delayed action on Pollavaram and Mahanadi issues has come in for a lot of flak. The ‘late riser’ tag on Naveen Patnaik on these couple of issues and the political violence having come to stay as a disturbing factor in Odisha politics, there is a challenge to the law and order situation of the State like the one in Uttar Pradesh. Can the ruling party sustain the pressure built layer by layer on these issuesIJ And what will happen if the political violence or the muscle power of the ruling party continues to rule the roost till the next electionIJ
Skipping all-party meet: CM afraid of truth!
By not attending the all-party meet convened by leader of Opposition (loP) Narasingha Mishra, Naveen Patnaik is trying to run away from the truth instead of facing it head on. On Mahanadi issue he needs support from all parties irrespective of their ideological differences. He should have led from the front by example and spearheaded a united attack on BJP Government in Chhattisgarh. He missed the opportunity to use the forum to share and clarify all points relating to the issues raised by the neighbours. ‘Silence is golden’ is a formula not applicable always everywhere. His absence in the meeting to discuss the larger issue was important as the State Assembly is yet to sit for the next session.
His presence was all the more important from the point of view that the Water Resources Department is directly under his control.