Senior BJP MLA says Gujarat government’s water conservation scheme yielded nothing

GANDHINAGAR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former minister Ramanlal Vora on Wednesday criticised the party’s government in the state over the implementation of a water conservation scheme.

If work under the scheme was not carried out in his constituency he would move the High Court, he warned.

`Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan’, the state government’s much-talked- about water conservation initiative, did not yield any results in his area, he claimed, blaming the officials.

Vora, 70, was speaking on a resolution introduced by BJP MLA Bhagvanji Kargatiya on the importance of saving water and role of Sujalam Sufalam campaign, launched in 2018.

A large amount of rainwater has been stored in water bodies and groundwater levels have also gone up due to the campaign which has won plaudits at the national level, Kargatiya said. The scheme involves the construction of new ponds and check dams, desilting and cleaning of existing check dams and ponds, rejuvenation of rivers and repairing of canals with the help of local people, he said. Taking a strong exception, Vora said the Sujalam Sufalam campaign did not yield any concrete results in his constituency of Idar in Sabarkantha district because of the officials associated with the project.

”You (Kargatiya) are saying that we will rejuvenate rivers under this mission. Show me a single river which has been brought back to life in north Gujarat so far. You mentioned that canals will be repaired. Forget about repairing, no one has bothered to even clear garbage and vegetation from Dharoi canal which passes through my area,” said Vora.

The former social justice and empowerment minister added that he had approached engineers and secretaries of the concerned departments, ministers and even the then chief minister over these issues.

”I became a minister for the first time in 1995 (in the BJP government). But despite being a minister, I went to the High Court to obtain benefits for the people of my constituency. If the state government does not undertake my works, I will again approach the High Court despite being an MLA of the ruling party and no one can stop me from doing that,” said a visibly upset Vora.

Seeking to placate him, Water Resources Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya assured that no wrongdoing under the Jal Abhiyan will be tolerated.

”If any wrongdoing is found, I will personally visit the spot to solve the issue. The entire exercise will be monitored from the office and it is my assurance that we will not tolerate any corruption or wrongdoing,” he said.

Vora, a prominent Dalit face of the BJP, won from Idar (SC) constituency in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2022. He had also served as Speaker of the Assembly.

Source: Press Trust of India