The opposition parties have stepped up their diatribe against the Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana demanding rollback of the decision to scrap three-decade old Dadupur Nalvi irrigation project.
The Congress and Indian National lok Dal (INlD) on Friday sounded warning that they will not let the upcoming Haryana Vidhan Sabha session, starting October 23, to run smoothly if the government does not withdraw its order.
Upping the ante against the ruling BJP on the issue of shelved irrigation project, INlD delegation led by leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly and senior party leader Abhay Chautala met Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki demanding to nullify government’s order of denotifying 1019.2994 acre land acquired for the project.
The Congress leaders, on the other hand, led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP terming it as “anti-farmer” and for taking an “unconstitutional” decision to scrap the irrigation project, which was to benefit over 200 villages of Haryana.
The senior Congress leader, while talking to the mediapersons here said that the party will raise the issue in the upcoming Haryana Assembly session and will not let the House function if the State Government does not withdraw its decision.
The two–time former Chief Minister said that the farmers, who got compensation long time back, are not in a position to return it with 15 percent interest. It is unfortunate that the government is thinking about its profit only and scrapped the project as they did not want to give compensation to the farmers as per court directions for acquired land, he said.
Terming the decision as BJP’s ‘tughlaki farman’, Hooda said that the BJP is “anti-farmer” and the ruling is not concerned about the farming community.
Around 70 percent work on the project was completed and over Rs 300 crore was already spent on it, he said.
On State Government’s claim that farmers are happy with the scraping of the project, the senior Congress leader said that such claims are baseless and untrue.
Hooda also promised to revive the project if his party comes to power in Haryana.
The INlD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala also lashed out at the BJP led Haryana Government terming it “anti-people” and “anti-farmer”. After meeting Haryana Governor, Chautala said that we have apprized him about the project and adverse impact on farmers after it is scrapped.
The Governor has assured us to look into the matter, said he.
The INlD leader added that the party will raise this issue in the upcoming Haryana Vidhan Sabha session and would ensure that the government withdraws its illegal decision of scraping the project.
The senior leaders from Congress and INlD had also visited Yamunanagar to meet the farmers, who are protesting against the government’s decision. Various farmers organizations have criticized the State Government for this decision and also, announced statewide protest and to go to court against the decision.
The Dadupur Nalvi irrigation project was initiated in year 1985 and it was approved by government for Rs 13 crores for irrigation and recharging of ground water in the Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Ambala districts.
Announcing to withdraw the project, the government had on September 27 claimed that it has not found the project feasible after enhancement of the compensation to the farmers following a May 2016 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Under the project, 2246.53 acre land was to be acquired for construction of this project, out of which a total of 1019.2994 acre land was acquired but it has been denotified by the present Haryana Government.