Senior Gujarat Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Monday alleged that the “inordinate delay of eight years” by the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre in grant clearance to construction of sluice gates over the Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam had caused the State exchequer a whopping loss of Rs15,000 crore.
Speaking on the budgetary demands for the Narmada department in the State Assembly, Chudasama said the Narendra Modi Government took just 17 days after assuming power at the Centre to clear the setting up of the gates that would effectively raise the dam’s height to its full 138 metres from the present 121 metres.
The Minister came down heavily on the Opposition Congress and stated that the complete canal network to reach the Narmada waters to the parched regions of Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat would be constructed by 2015-16.
He said had the UPA cleared the raising of the dam height without delay, Gujarat would not have suffered during the time of scarcity.
“Had the increase in dam height been cleared in 2006, the State would have had 780 cubic metres water that would have lasted for two years, but the UPA Government led by the Congress did not. The opposition has no business to spread canards like this,” the minister said. Even if the monsoon had failed, the government would have been able to provide not only drinking water but also for irrigation for the farmers, he added.
Chudasama said as on June 30 this year, irrigation facility for as much as 9.86 lakh hectares of land had been created through the overall canal network that is operational. “The rest of the network would be completed during 2015-16 and the State Government has allocated a whopping Rs 9,000 crore for the purpose,” the minister informed the State Assembly. The House unanimously approved the budgetary demands for the Narmada ministry after the minister’s statement.