Mahanadi barrage for Industry: Cong

     Raipur, February 22, 2011: Main opposition Congress today accused the BJP Government in Chhattisgarh of constructing barrage in Mahanadi river for the benefit of industries and staged a walkout from the state assembly.

     Through a call attention motion, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi raised the issue of allotment of river water to industry and charged the government of ignoring the interest of the farmers and selling that to industries.

     The Congress also accused the BJP government of constructing a barrage on Mahanadi, the main river of the state, for providing water to the industry.

     Although Water Resources Minister Hemchand Yadav vehemently denied having any such plan and said the aim of the state government was to check the water from flowing down to the sea.

     Also out of the total water, only 10 per cent would go to industry, the Minister said but the opposition refused to buy that argument.

     Accusing the government of ignoring the interest of the farmers, Congress members staged a walkout from the state assembly.