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BJP rally demands river linking

BERHAMPUR: Leaders of the State BJP got together at Chatrapur in Ganjam district on Saturday afternoon for a rally demanding linking of the Rushikulya river with the Mahanadi.

The BJP leaders who attended the rally included its State president Suresh Pujari, Ministers -- Biswabhusan Harichandan and Samir Dey, its national secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, State general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan, State Yuva Morcha president Bibhuti Jena, former deputy speaker of State Assembly Ram Chandra Panda and president of its farmers’ unit K.C. Jagdev.

In a way it was a show of strength of the BJP in the home district of the BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Thousands of BJP supporters from all over Ganjam district attended the rally. This rally showed that the BJP no more wants to get shadowed by its ally in power the BJD in Ganjam district.

A BJP delegation, led by Mr. Panda, met the Ganjam district Collector and submitted him a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Panda said they urged the State government to take some definite steps towards the river linking project of Mahanadi and Rushikulya within next three months. Otherwise the BJP activists would stage a dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan, he added.

The BJP wants to make its presence felt in Ganjam district revitalizing the old demand of river linking. Mr. Ram Chandra Panda took up the issue in 2000 and approached the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, with a detailed plan to link the Mahanadi with the Rushikulya.

In 2003, the then irrigation minister of the State had also declared on the floor of the House that the project was being taken up by the State government.

But till now neither the State government nor the Centre have shown interest in the project. The irrigation and drinking water projects for urban areas of Ganjam district depend on the Rushikulya river system which remains dry throughout the year barring the monsoon months.

The BJP leaders in their speeches claimed that the project would cost only Rs. 2,000 crores.

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