Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi on Saturday accused the central government of "showing
crookedness" and sabotaging the progress of the state by not
giving permission to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar
dam.
"By not giving approval to construct gates over Sardar
Sarovar dam and raise its height, the Centre has shown its
crookedness toward Gujarat. The Congress-led UPA government
should change its anti-Gujarat mentality," Modi said.
Modi was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony
for three construction works of Kutch and Radhanpur
branch canal in Patan district.
Under these projects, 987 kilometres of branch canal are
proposed to be constructed at the cost of Rs 712 crore, which
would carry Narmada`s water to 158 villages of Patan,
Banaskantha and Kutch districts, according to the government.
"The Centre is giving 90 per cent grant to the other
states for irrigation projects in arid areas, but it is not
ready to give similar grant for Narmada canal project, though
most of it benefits arid land belts," Modi said.
Due to this discriminatory attitude of the Centre, it
would be difficult to take the Narmada`s water to Gujarat`s
interior on time, Modi said.
Targeting state Congress leaders, he said, "They are
behaving as Subas (regents in Mughal period) of Delhi
Sultanate and have taken a supari against progress of Gujarat.
We should identify this subas and teach them a lesson
in the coming elections."
PTI
