Stages walkout during state Assembly’s Budget session
Raipur, February 22, 2011
The state government is selling river water to the industries owing to which the farmers are not getting sufficient water for irrigation. Leveling the allegation against the government, the Opposition Congress staged walkout during the state Assembly’s Budget session on Tuesday.
The issue was raised by Congress legislators Ajit Jogi and his spouse Dr Renu Jogi during call attention. The duo charged that the government was selling water of river Mahanadi to the industries in Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh districts.
They said the government has started selling water by constructing dams and barrages in the state. The duo alleged that the water from Rogda, Nariyara and Kukurdih dams was being sold to Imami Cement. They further charged that the officials of Water Resources Department (WRD) had sold water from Samoda and Khapri reservoirs to JMR Power Plant, KSK Power Plant and Imami Cement by taking commission from these industries.
Denying the allegations, the WRD Minister Hemchand Yadav said the officials had not taken any commission to sell the river water to the industrialists. Rather, he said the excess water in the dams that usually flow to the other states was being given to the industries with an objective to develop the state. “The government is providing 90 percent of river water to the farmers and the only 10 percent to the industries,” he said.
“In fact, to make optimum use of river Mahanadi’s water within the state, the government entered into contract with the industries,” he said. He informed that the state would earn about Rs 600 crore annually by selling water to the industries.
Recently the government had constructed dams and barrages in command areas to utilise the excess flow of water, he clarifies.
On construction of barrage in Janjgir-Champa, he said it would benefit both the industries and farmers. “The farmers can get free water through this barrage through lift irrigation,” he said.
Ajit Jogi said the government should have constructed barrages in those locations where the farmers could get more benefit. He offered to inform about ten specific locations where construction of barrages could benefit the farmers to a large extent. The minister readily accepted Jogi’s offer and said his department would promptly conduct survey of those locations.
The Congress MLA Rajkamal Singhania pointed that he had sent a proposal to the WRD earlier regarding construction of barrage but the department refused to accept it terming that it would only benefit the farmers and not industrialists.
He also sought clarification from the government for is attempts to mislead the House on water distribution indicating that the decision of water sharing between Chhattisgarh and Orissa lies to the Centre.
Both the Congress MLA’s said that the government was issuing overabundant no objection certificates (NOCs) to the industries to use water and pointed that over 40 power plant companies had been granted permission in Janjgir-Champa district.
They asked why the government instead of providing water for irrigation purpose and potable water to the people giving priority to the industries. They also objected over the provision of large tracts of lands to the industries different districts. They said even scientifically the government should not had given permission to more than five power plant companies to establish their units in Janjgir-Champa but it had opened the doors for over 40 companies recklessly. They suggested the government to conduct scientific inspection of the regions selected for industrial belt.
Accepting the advice, the WRD Minister assured that the government would conduct scientific inspection of the areas where power plants are being established.
Motels under Tourism dept to be ready in six months
Raipur, February 22, 2011
The Tourism Minister Brijmohan Agrawal has announced that all the motels being constructed under his department would be ready and would start functioning in next six months. Agrawal’s announcement came while he was answering to the question of Congress MLA Dr Renu Jogi regarding delay in the motel constructions in the state during the Budget session of Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
Dr Jogi alleged that the Tourism department had selected wrong locations to construct motels for tourists and asked why the projects were delayed.
In his reply, Agrawal informed that the House that his department picked the spots to build 32 motels in different parts of the state considering convenience of the tourists.
“It is not possible to tourist spots in short span of time. Even the tourist places of India like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Kerala, etc became famous after several years of exploration of tourists. The spots for motels in Chhattisgarh too have been selected considering the potential of the location to be developed as tourist place,” he said.
The minister clarified that the state government constructed motels besides roadsides on highways on Centre’s directions.
Indicating towards motel projects in Kabir Chabutara and Amadob, Dr Jogi asked from the minister about the deadline to complete the Amadob motel and reason for heavy expenditure (Rs 1.85 crore) on Kabir Chabutara motel that has capacity to accommodate only 92 tourists. She said the Kabir Chabutara motel does not even have light and water facility.
The minister said Amadob motel was being operated by the Forest department and informed that all other motels would also be handed over to the private hands after developing full-fledged facilities in them in six months.
Agrawal also informed the House about the proposal of two motels in Jashpur district.
Tuskers killed 26 in last one year
Raipur, February 22, 2011
the wild elephants killed about 26 people and have damaged crops worth over Rs 2.16 crore in past one year. The information was imparted by the Forest Minister Vikram Usendi while he was replying to the questions of Congress MLA Dr Haridas Bhardwaj pertaining to government’s plans to check the threats posed by the tuskers to the people who dwell neat jungles during the Budget session of Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
Usendi informed that the government had given Rs 36.45 lakh compensation amount to the families of the 26 persons who became victim of tuskers. Besides, Rs 2.16 crore has been distributed to about 16886 families whose crops were damaged by the wild elephants, he said.
“Soon the government will do solar fencing around the forests where the wild elephants live to prevent their rampage as low voltage current (5-7 volts) do not affect them. The flow of current in the solar fencing would be between 5-12 volts. When the wild elephants will touch the solar fencing, they would get light shock and would resist breaking the fencing,” Usendi announced.
He informed that the solar fencing would be done in phased manner and about 100 kilometers of the forests areas would be fenced in current financial year.
The government took the decision to do solar fencing of the tusker-dominated forests only after inspection report of the teams on the result of such measure in 3-4 states, he said.
Besides, solar fencing, the government will also organise training and awareness camps for the people who live in the elephant-affected areas, Usendi said.
He informed that the government had framed comprehensive plan to check tusker menace in the state and would make elephant reserve.
RMC’s general body meeting today
Raipur, February 22, 2011
The municipal’s general body meeting (GBM) will begin at its Pt Ravishankar Shukla conference hall from 11 am on Wednesday. The GBM has been called upon after six months of gap. The Mayor-in-Council (MiC) has proposed 35 agendas for discussion in the House.
Mayor sweeps Malviya road
Raipur, February 22, 2011
Mayor Kiranmayi Nayak on Tuesday swept Malviya road as a shramdan along with the volunteers of Sant Nirankari Mission (SNM). She urged all the social organisations of the capital to help the municipal in making the city clean by taking out initiative and responsibility like SNM. She further announced best cleaning award that will be presented annually to the social organisation that will give maximum contribution to the RMC in its sanitation works. On Tuesday, about 300 SNM volunteers cleaned the road from Budhapara chowk to Jaistambh chowk via Kotwali chowk from 6-8 am as a tribute to their Guru Baba Hardev Singh Maharaj whose birth anniversary is on Wednesday. During shramdan, Nayak was accompanied by the municipal’s Health department president Gyanesh Sharma, Culture department president Jagdish Ahuja, Women and Child Development department president Rani Satish Jain and zone 4 president Anis Ahmed.
RMC pays floral tribute to Dr Khoobchand Baghel
Raipur, February 22, 2011
The RMC paid tribute to freedom fighter Dr Khoobchand Baghel on the occasion of his 42nd death anniversary on Tuesday. In this connection, the municipal’s Culture department organised a floral tribute programme before Dr Baghel’s statue at Naveen Market premises, Phool chowk. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi who attended the programme said that people should follow the principles of Dr Baghel in their life. On the occasion, Mayor Kiranmayi Nayak, freedom fighter and Padma Shree Dr Mahadev Prasad Pandey, Raipur Zila Panchayat president Laxmi Verma, Beej Vikas Nigam chairman Shyam Bais, leader of BJP corporators Subhash Tiwari and others were also present.
RMC seals 105 plots in last three years
Raipur, February 22, 2011
The RMC’s Building Permission department has kept 105 plots as surety in the last three fiscals under its approval to develop colonies within municipal limits. The department’s officials informed that the 30 plots were kept as surety in 2008-09, 47 plots in 2009-10 and 28 in 2010-11.
60 encroachers ousted
Raipur, February 22, 2011
The RMC on Tuesday ousted about 60 encroachers who had occupied the houses constructed for poor under Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana in Kabir Nagar. The zone 8 commissioner Vinod Pandey informed that these encroachers had done illegal constructions which were demolished by 3D machine.
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