Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Saturday said that she has written to the Odisha government to make the channel of the minor irrigation project (MIP) at Deras dam encroachment-free within three days.
“The farmers hadn’t received water to their 300-acre farmland from the Deras MIP for two years. And there was none to listen to their problems. The farmers said they had met the concerned officials on several occasions, but to no avail. Is it right on the part of that powerful lady to terrify one and all by using her contacts?” asked the Parliamentarian.
“On that day, we saw how the irrigation canal lying in the encroached land had been buried. In the presence of the officers from the Irrigation department, on the basis of their maps, it was found out that there used to be an irrigation channel,” she added.
“Yesterday, I wrote a letter to the Chief Minister informing him about the illegality that occurred at a place barely 20 kilometres away from Bhubaneswar. I have urged him to take steps to make the channel of the minor irrigation project at Deras dam encroachment-free so that the 300 acres of land get water. And this should happen within three days,” she said.
“I have also urged him to take steps for the demarcation of the 150 acres of the encroached land within seven days. The district Collector, the Sub-Collector and the Tehsildar should demarcate the said land,” she further added.
Meanwhile, the MP’s letter has hit the target as the state government has not only swung into action but also shown alacrity.
The Superintending Engineer of Minor Irrigation Division, Khordha has shot off a letter to the Bhubaneswar tehsildar, asking him to demarcate the land of the left main canal of the Deras MIP and remove the unauthorised blocking.
“It has come to the notice of the undersigned that part of the left canal of Deras MIP in the Mendhasal GP has been blocked by some encroachers as a result of which ayacutdars are deprived of irrigation since last two years,” read the letter.
“Hence it is requested immediate steps may be taken for demarcation of land to make the canal free from encroachment and removal of unauthorized blocking so as to make smooth irrigation flow to the tail end,” the letter added.
In this regard, no reactions from the government and Kiruthika Prabhakaran could be obtained.