BJP, Cong blame each other for SSP delay

AHMEDABAD, Dec 18: The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and the Congress have crossed swords over the Narmada issue accusing each other of bl...

AHMEDABAD, Dec 18: The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and the Congress have crossed swords over the Narmada issue accusing each other of blocking the project and not doing enough to get the project through.

While the Congress alleges that the project is suffering a daily cost over-run of Rs eight crore, the BJP has asked it to get the Madhya Pradesh government to compensate the loss. Official BJP spokesman Bharat Pandya also asked State Congress leaders to convince the neighbouring state to give up its negative attitude, instead of hurling political allegations at the BJP government in Gujarat and the Centre.

He said Narmada was not a political but a people8217;s issue and should be treated as such. He claimed that senior BJP leaders of the state were trying their best in representing Gujarat8217;s case for Narmada at New Delhi. Pandya urged CD Patel to open a front against the MP government for their anti-Narmada stance instead of criticising the BJP in Gujarat. He claimed that people of the state were ever alertabout any anti-Narmada propaganda a proof of which was provided when World Commission on Dams tried to visit Gujarat.

Pandya8217;s remarks came in the wake of utterances of Congress leaders at Tuesday8217;s gathering to mark Sardar Patel8217;s death anniversary. The Congress Seva Dal had pledged to ensure completion of the Sardar Sarovar Project SSP. Its Gujarat unit president Maulin Vaishnav said completion of the SSP would be a true homage to the iron man of India. He lamented that the Prime Minister had no time to spare a thought for the project though it was located in the model state8217;, while he could find a quick solution to the Kaveri water dispute.

GPCC president C D Patel exhorted the Dal volunteers to fan out in the State to create a popular movement in favour of completion of the SSP by holding mass meetings in talukas where they could also expose the BJP8217;s failure in this matter. Leader of the Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary lamented that the very people creating anarchy and putting national integrity injeopardy had the audacity to compare themselves with the late Sardar Patel, a visionary and architect of India8217;s unity.

Chaudhary said the State Government should pay more attention to completion of SSP instead of diverting resources to other projects like Kalpsar project. Former PCC president Prabodh Raval said the Congress workers should introspect and learn from Sardar Patel to make sacrifices instead of competing with each other for grabbing power. City Congress president Rajkumar Gupta, AMC Congress leader Himmatsinh Patel and NSUI state president Mihir Shah also spoke on the occasion.

In a statement, former union minister Urmilaben Patel has demanded that the government should issue special commemorative coins of Re one and Rs five denominations on the occasion.