Gujarat Congress MLAs today walked out of the state Assembly when the ruling party moved a motion blaming the Centre for delay in giving permission for increasing the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river.
BJP MLA from Devgadhbaria, Bachu Khabad, introduced the motion demanding that the Centre immediately complete the formalities involved in giving nod for raising the height.
Congress MLAs pointed out that as per the Supreme Court's order, the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) is responsible for giving approval and not the Centre.
Despite a debate, when the BJP members refused to modify the motion, Congress MLAs walked out.
"This is a political motion....It is for the NCA to give permission to increase the height of the dam and Centre has no role in it," Congress's chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput said.
"The three governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh need to complete the rehabilitation of those displaced, after which the NCA will give permission," he said.
However, the state government accused Congress of not supporting the cause of state's farmers.
"It is very bad that we had to pass this motion with a majority vote instead of unanimous decision of the House. The Congress should have supported this motion which is in the interest of the state and the farmers," Finance Minister and government spokesperson Nitin Patel later told reporters.
The motion said the height of the dam was increased to 121.92 meters in 2006, after which, in the absence of government's nod, the work on increasing it to 138.68 meters had stalled for the last eight years.
It requested the Centre to call meeting of NCA's rehabilitation committee for giving the approval.
