Dy Speaker Chandel to head Rogda Dam deal probe

     Raipur, March 09, 2011: Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dharam Lal Kaushik today announced a five member committee, headed by Deputy Speaker Narayan Chandel, to probe the controversial Rogda Dam deal of Akaltara block of Janjgir-Champa District.

     Besides Chandel, Devji Bhai Patel and Deepak Kumar Patel, all from BJP and Mohammad Akbar and Dharamjeet Singh, both Congress, would be the member of the committee, Speaker Kaushik informed the house.

     Deputy Speaker Chandel would lead the Committee, he said.

     Chandel represents Janjgir-Champa segment in the state assembly and the Rogda dam is located in the same Janjgir-Champa district.

     On March 04 last the Speaker had announced that a five member committee of the state Assembly would probe the Rogda Dam deal.

     The Chair announced the probe after the opposition members from the Congress and BSP stalled the house proceeding for two days demanding scrapping of the Rogda Dam sale to a private power producing company.

     After the House was adjourned twice on March 4, the speaker had a discussion with the members from both the benches and subsequently announced in the house that a five members committee of Chhattisgarh Assembly would look into the entire matter.

     When the Leader of Opposition and many of his members have demanded scrapping of the Rogda Dam deal and action against the officials involved in the matter, the Irrigation Minister had told the house more than once that the Irrigation Department had handed over the dam to the Revenue Department and the ownership was never given to any private company by the Irrigation Department, the Speaker had said.

     “Looking into the seriousness of the matter, a five-member House committee is being constituted to probe the entire matter of Rogda Dam, which was raised in the house on March 03, 2011 through question No 03,” the Speaker had said.

     The Committee, however, would submit its report before the last day of the next session, he had said.

     During the question hour, Congress member Mohammad Akbar had raised the Rogda Dam on March 03 and asked when was the dam constructed and whom had it been sold.

     Irrigation Minister Hemchand Yadav had replied the dam was constructed in 1962 with an investment of Rs 0.72 Lakh at village Rogda under Akaltara block of Janjgir-Champa district and had been handed over to the Revenue Department.

     For construction of the dam 21.80 hectare (53.85 acre) government land and 31.05 hectare (76.69 acre) total 52.85 hectare or 130.54 acre land were acquired, he had added.

     The dam has an irrigation potential of 221.85 hectare and with a payment of Rs 332.775 lakh the dam was handed over to the Revenue Department, the Minister had said and avoided who was the current owner of the Dam.