- 4,900 crore proposal was sent
- 2,500 crore only approved
- Gosikhurd needs 5,800 crores
- 1000 crore only
Nagpur. Vidarbha has been discriminated against for decades by the leaders of western Maharashtra. Now the government of 3 parties is also walking on the same path. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had visited the Gosikhurd project last year and had announced to complete the project in three years. For this, the department had sent a proposal for a demand of Rs 5,800 crore, so that the incomplete and needed canals of the project could be constructed. But Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar made a provision of only Rs 1,000 crore for Gosikhurd. There are about 131 small, medium and large irrigation projects in Vidarbha, whose works have been started but due to lack of funds, now they have come to a standstill.
In the last year 2021-22, a demand of Rs 4,900 crore was made by the Irrigation Department for the work of all these projects. Officials have given information about getting 2,500 crores out of them. The cost of the project is increasing every year. The cost of Gosikhurd has increased from Rs 380 crore to more than Rs 18,500 crore. Despite this, work is not being done to complete it expeditiously by giving full funds. Officials say that if full funds are available, then works can be done at a faster pace.
Then ask for 5,280 crores
The department has prepared and sent a proposal for demanding another Rs 5,280 crore in the current financial year 2022-23 for 131 irrigation projects including Gosikhurd in Vidarbha. According to the Nagpur agreement, Vidarbha should get 23 percent of the funds from the government’s treasury in every budget, but till date this has not happened. The governments led by the leaders of Western Maharashtra worked to enrich their areas with the resources of Vidarbha. When the Mahavikas Aghadi government was formed and CM Thackeray reached Gosikhurd, it seemed that it would be completed in 3 years. It has been two and a half years since his tenure but the work is stuck where it was. On completion of the canal works, the farmers of Vidarbha will be able to get enough water in the fields, but the government is not even worried about the farmers.
Fury among Vidarbhaists
There is a lot of anger among the Vidarbhaists on this attitude of the government. He says that no governor has been able to control the mentality of the leaders of western Maharashtra, due to which Vidarbha is still backward despite having natural resources. Due to lack of irrigation, natural calamity, more than 40,000 farmers of Vidarbha have committed suicide so far. The farmers of Vidarbha are not even being given enough electricity. The governor should instruct the government to complete the entire backlog of Vidarbha.