Bhikangaon (Madhya Pradesh): Congress state president Jitu Patwari on Tuesday criticised the government’s management of tap water and irrigation projects in the state, during a farmers’ conference organised in Bhikangaon on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, Patwari said, “There is poison in the taps and silence in the canals. This is the reality of the water schemes.”
He talked about the water contamination crisis that hit Indore’s Bhagirathpura and the Binjalwara irrigation project in Bhikangaon, which has failed to supply water to fields for years. “Schemes were announced, budgets were sanctioned, foundation stones were laid, yet facilities have not yet reached those in needs,” he added.
“The government announced the amount and gave dates, but even today the canals are dry. The burden of debt on the state is increasing, while crores of rupees are being spent daily on Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s foreign trips. When farmers and common citizens are thirsty, this extravagance is an injustice to the people,” Patwari said.
Slamming the state government, Bhikangaon MLA Jhuma Solanki said that the Bijalwara project, initiated in 2018 and due for completion in 2021, is yet to be wrapped up even in 2026. “The money that was meant to flow into the canals instead went into the corridors of power. Farmers are still yearning for water. This scheme will become a major headache for the BJP,” she added.
Former minister Vijayalakshmi Sadho, former MLA Ravi Joshi, MLA Kedar Dabar and district Congress president Ravi Naik were among the Congress leaders who addressed the gathering.
Following the programme, Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to SDM Akanksha Agrawal, demanding a high-level inquiry, strict action against corruption and timely delivery of water to fields.
