Mumbai: Days after the ceasefire between two warring independents supporting the Shinde Fadnavis government, Bachchu Kadu and Ravi Rana, the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday cleared the revised administrative approval (RAP) of Rs 495.29 crore for the Sapan medium irrigation project from Kadu’s Achalpur assembly constituency from the Amravati district.
This is the fourth RAP which was cleared by the state cabinet for the Sapan medium irrigation project, whose construction started in 2000.
The project was approved by the Planning Commission for an estimated cost of Rs 200.70 crore -- at 2005-06 prices -- in October 2007. The project was included in the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) under PM Package for Vidarbha Region during 2007-08.
The project was partially completed during 2009-10, and irrigation potential created was 4735 hectare, as against the ultimate irrigation potential of 6,380 hectare in 33 villages of Achalpur Taluka and 2 villages of Chandur Bazar Taluka of Amravati district.
Of the ultimate irrigation potential, 5669 ha will be created in Achalpur alone. Therefore, the state cabinet’s decision is quite crucial, as it was pending for want of funds.
The Chief Minister’s Office said that, ‘’After completing the remaining works under the project immediately, 6134 hectares of 35 villages in Achalpur and Chandurbazar talukas of Amravati district will be irrigated under the project. The benefit of this project will be drinking water supply along with agricultural irrigation.’’
The state cabinet’s decision is to keep Kadu in a good favour, as the uncertainty over his induction in the ministry continues. Kadu took strong objection to Rana’s allegation that he switched sides to Shinde camp, after allegedly taking a bribe.
Kadu, despite being a minister of state in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, had joined Shinde after he staged a rebellion. Kadu was expecting a ministerial berth in the first round of cabinet expansion held on August 9, but missed the boat. He is sulking and has not hidden his ministerial ambitions since then.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Sachin Sawant said, ‘’When Bachchu Kadu was the minister of state he could not get the cabinet’s approval for this particular decision. However, now after the controversy the cabinet clears the long pending proposal. People of Maharashtra are wise enough to understand the politics behind it. The RAP is an act of corruption when the government is run by opposition parties. But it does not fall in the definition of corruption when BJP is in power.’’
