The Dadupur-Nalvi canal project is northern Haryana's lifeline and the Congress party will ensure its completion, party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said today, days after the state's BJP government decided to scrap the scheme.
Surjewala alleged that the BJP government in Haryana has bartered the interests of farmers and it was time for a decisive battle against the Manohar Lal Khattar government.
He was addressing a 'dharna' organised by Haryana Kisan- Khet Mazdoor Congress - Haryana Kisan Congress - Bhartiya Kisan Union. Farmers from Kurukshetra, Yamuna Nagar and Ambala converged at the 'dharna' to register their protest against the state government's decision to shelve the canal project.
On September 27, the Haryana government decided to scrap the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project by approving a proposal of the Irrigation and Water Resources Department to denotify 1,019.2994 acres of land acquired for the irrigation scheme.
Surjewala said Haryana's farmers will give a befitting reply to the Khattar government for the "treachery" and the Congress party will stand solidly behind their struggle.
Calling the BJP government's decision another 'tughlaki farman' (diktat), he said that close to a lakh hectare of land of 225 villages of Ambala, Yamuna Nagar and Kurukshetra will be denied irrigation in a single stroke due to this decision, proving the BJP's apathy towards the poor and the farmers.
The canal project was started by the Congress in 1985.
In October 2005, the Congress restarted the project and acquired 1,019 acres of land for water recharging and irrigation through construction of Shahbad Feeder, Shahbad Distributory and Nalvi Distributary.
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