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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, MARCH 28: Beginning Wednesday, the Sena-BJP alliance will launch a massive agitation, particularly in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada to protest against the complete failure of the Congress-led Democratic Front government to impound the entire quantity of water allotted to the State from the Krishna river.
“We feel that the Vilasrao Deshmukh government has failed in its task to impound the entire quota of water. Under such circumstances, out of the 600 tmc water allotted to Maharashtra by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal Award, we will not be able to impound even 100 tmc of water before the stipulated date of May 31, 2000,” Leader of Opposition Narayan Rane said.
Rane said when the Sena-BJP alliance was in power, it had chalked out a comprehensive action plan to impound the entire quota of water by the end of May 2000. “Apparently, the Congress-led Democratic Front government failed to mobilise the funds required for the purpose. Though it floated bonds for Rs 1,000 crore, the response was very poor,” Rane said, adding, the works of 70 projects under the Krishna Valley Development Corporation should have started in November last. However, none of the works have actually began.
As a part of the agitation, Rane and former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde said on March 29 and 30, demonstrations will be staged at all Tehsil headquarters in the areas of the Krishna Valley Development Corporation, while from April 2 to 7, district-level conventions will be organised at Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Osmanabad, Beed and Ahmadnagar.
The fortnight-long agitation will culminate at Pune on April 9, where Sena chief Bal Thackeray will address a public meeting to protest against the apathy of the government.
