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Monday, Dec 03, 2007
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Congress holds farmers’ rally

Special Correspondent

Party leaders put Naveen Patnaik Government on notice on Hirakud

BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition Congress on Sunday organised a massive farmers’ rally in western Orissa town of Sambalpur to extend its support to the farmers’ agitation against diversion of water from Hirakud reservoir to industries.

Addressing the meeting, senior leaders of the party cautioned the Naveen Patnaik Government not to sacrifice the interests of the lakhs of farmers by allowing private companies to draw water from the Hirakud reservoir.

Union Minister and party’s Orissa in-charge Ajay Maken said that water should not be diverted to industries from Hirakud as the farmers were already facing water shortage for irrigation in the recent years, particularly during the Rabi season. Decrease in the annual inflow of water and siltation had already decreased the reservoir’s live storage capacity, he said.

Mr. Maken said that if the Congress was voted to power it would have a re-look at all the memoranda of understanding signed by the BJD-BJP alliance government.

Clarifying that the party was not against industrialisation, Mr. Maken, however, said the party was not in favour of establishment of industries at the cost of agriculture, forest and environment. The companies setting up industries should be asked to purchase land directly from the people and the government should ensure proper rehabilitation and resettlement measures, he added.

The rally brought together almost all prominent leaders of the party in the State. Among others who addressed the meeting include PCC president Jayadev Jena and Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister J.B. Patnaik.

Earlier in the day, the party held the meeting of the extended executive committee of the Pradesh Congress Committee.

The meeting passed several resolutions pertaining to the burning issues facing the State including the controversy over Hirakud water, agitation by various sections of teachers and the Vedanta Alumina Limited’s refinery project.

In the resolution on Vedanta, the party said that the company’s refinery project should not come up at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district of the State the cost of environment. The resolution also strongly opposed to the proposal to extract bauxite ore from the Niyamgiri hills.

As regards the teachers’ agitation, the party demanded that the thousands of vacant posts of teachers should be filled up without delay.

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