Press Note Eng Dt: 30/08/2016 Sauni Yojna
Office of Shaktisinh Gohil
National Spokesperson, AICC & MLA, Abdasa
Press Note 30/08/2016
Come election time, Narendra Modi is out with his much publicized Narmada water in Gujarat dams and river linkage scheme. The same is happening today when he is in Gujarat for “Sauni Yojana”. “Sauni Yojana” is not a scheme for all but it is a corruption scheme of BJP to mislead voters. Whenever elections approach Narendra Modi promises to fill all dams of Gujarat with Narmada water and river linkages. But after polls it remains a promise,national spokesperson of Congress and its MLA Shaktisinh Gohil said.
He said that BJP has lost its base in Gujarat and keeping 2017 polls in mind Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Rajkot district for a drama to fill 115 dams of Saurasthra with Narmada water. Gohil gave a chronological evidence of series of lies and misleading statements Modi has been making since 2002.
Fifteen years back Modi had declared that there would be three million acre feet water surplus in Narmada dam of which one million acre feet would be given to Saurasthra, one million acre feet water to North Gujarat and one million acre feet water to dams in Kutch and water linkages. But even after 15 years of BJP rule there is no progress in this. Though no permission was required nor completion of work of gates of Narmada was needed , the work is still incomplete and announcements are made only during polls.
Whenever there are polls Modi stages drama of announcements of Narmada water in dams and river linkage. First of all before 2002 polls Modi announced that there will be Narmada water in dams and river linkage. But no work was done on it in five years and before 2007 polls on September 8 he had a big show of Mahasangam at Siddhpur to bring Narmada water in Siddhpur. He announced that Narmada water will flow in the river round the year and garnered votes on this false promise.
On September 8 water was released by Modi in river in Siddhpur from Narmada pipeline and people were brought in 2000 buses for a big rally there. But after that day no water from Narmada came in river. Later people realized that they were fooled as the river was filled with water from pipeline which was supplied water from tankers. Even today the river is completely dry and does not have even a drop of Naramda.
As 2012 elections approached Modi on 25 September 2012 announced “Sauni Yojana” in Saurasthra and on anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya a huge gathering was organized. Here Modi announced that all the 115 dams of Saurasthra and all small and big 87 rivers would be inter linked with Narmada. Modi had announced that Saurasthra would be divided in four link zones and all 115 dams would be inter linked and get water from Narmada canal by gravity.
He had also announced that tender for this would be issued in June 2013 and this massive work would be completed just in three years and in June 2016 through four links of Saurashtra 115 dams would overflow with Narmada water. These announcements and copy of Modi’s speech is still available on Narendra Modi’s website http://www.narendramodi.in/gu/cm-launches-saurashtra-narmada-avtaran-irrigation-sauni-yojana-for-saurashtra-4780 . By this all 115 dams should have been linked by 2016, but still there is no linkage of even five dams. Again when 2014 Lok Sabha elections were approaching Modi on May 5, 2013, in Devda village of Gondal taluka in Saurashtra, made false promise that work on all 115 dams under SAUNI scheme would be completed soon. This was announced in a huge public gathering on banks of Bhabhar River in Devda. Because 2014 polls were near Modi declared that “Sauni Yojana” would be completed on time. It is a fact that “Sauni Yojana” is just a false promise of BJP made only during polls. Whatever little work that has been done in “Sauni Yojana” is of huge corruption in pipelines. There is no transparency in tenders for work of pipelines and pipelines are of inferior quality. Due to this corruption negligible work has been done as compared to the expenditure.
When Modi has come once again for melodrama in the name of “Sauni Yojana” he should give answers to people of Gujarat on following questions.
- According to Modi all the 115 dams were to be linked by June 2016 but till the date even 3% dams have not been linked.
- Claims have been made that designs of Narmada canals were perfect to withstand pressure. Why are there frequent breaches in canals?
- Why Centre is not giving permission to close gates of Narmada dams?
- Why the work on providing one million acre feet water to Kutch has not moved even an inch?
- During elections work plans and announcements are made about “Sauni Yojana”. Why no progress after that?
- Why people are made to face hardship as ST buses are diverted for poll meetings?
- Why public money is used for organizing huge gatherings for political gains?
- BJP is in power in Gujarat for 22 years and Modi ruled for 13 years. Why work on 48,000 kms of Narmada pipeline is still incomplete?
————————————————————————————————————–
Click here to view/download press note