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Bansagar project: Centre snubbed by Madhya Pradesh

Gargi Parsai

Chauhan behaved liked a feudal lord, says Soz

NEW DELHI: Was it a deliberate faux pas or did the Madhya Pradesh government want to get back at Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz for his report on the lack of rehabilitation and resettlement of the Narmada dam displaced families, when it did not invite him for the inauguration of the Bansagar reservoir project by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee?

The former Prime Minister "dedicated the multipurpose, inter-State project to the people" on September 25 in Shahdol district in the absence of any political representation from the Centre.

Mr. Soz is the Chairman of the Bansagar Control Board which is the apex body for implementing the project on the Sone among Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The three States are the co-sharers of the costs and benefits of the estimated Rs 1,054.96 crore project, while the Centre extends loan assistance under the Accelerated Benefit Irrigation Programme. Chairman of the Central Water Commission R. Jayaseelan is the head of the Executive Committee. Neither was invited to the inaugural function.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar brought the issue to the notice of Mr. Soz first. The Bihar government raised an objection initially at not being invited to the inaugural function. "The programme should have been finalised by convening a special meeting of the Bansagar Control Board...Instead the Government of Madhya Pradesh has acted unilaterally ignoring the rightful claim of Bihar," said H.C. Sirohi, Bihar Commissioner and Secretary in a "protest" letter written on September 9 to Madhya Pradesh. Later, however, the Janata Dal (United) Bihar Irrigation Minster attended the function organised by the BJP, a National Democratic Alliance ally.

Speaking to The Hindu , Uttar Pradesh Chief Engineer in charge of the Bansagar project C.D. Sharma said there was no agreement in his State as well on anyone attending the inaugural function as the State had not been "consulted." Ultimately he was the only one who represented the State. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav holds the Irrigation Department.

The Madhya Pradesh government ignored a letter written by Water Resources Secretary Gauri Chatterjee to postpone the function and reschedule it after consultations with the Bansagar Control Board and concerned the State governments concerned. The State said the intimation of the programme was given to all only after the firm date was received from Mr. Vajpayee. Although later the Madhya Pradesh Government invited the Secretary Water Resources, it still ignored the Chairman of the Board.

Sources said the BJP Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh turned made the inaugural into a BJP affair by keeping out the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. out. The publicity material carried pictures of only the BJP leaders. "The M.P. CM (Shivraj Singh Chauhan) behaved like a feudal lord," remarked Mr. Soz.

The sources pointed out that the BJP could also be getting even with the UPA government at the Centre that hogged all the limelight when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presided over the signing of the first river link — Ken and Betwa between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh — without inviting Mr. Vajpayee, who had initiated the rivers interlinking project.

Attempts to talk to the Irrigation Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the Special Secretary, Irrigation, did not yield results.

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