Narmada water to Kutch should be the first priority: Gohil

Ahmedabad, 1 October 2012

Addressing party workers in Mandvi and Gandhidham, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shaktisinh Gohil said that to talk of turning Kutch into Shanghai is an insult of Kutch, HDI of Shanghai is lowest in the world while people of Kutch are among the most humane in the world.

He said that Kutch can never be compared with a place where violation of Human Rights is rampant and HDI is the lowest. Kutch has a rich cultural heritage. Kutch should be left as Kutch and it should be given its due instead of talking about turning Kutch into Shanghai. In the last 12 years, maximum injustice has been done to Kutch. Its invaluable natural resources have been allowed to be exploited by favorites of the Chief Minister. Narmada water to Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat was the top most priority. Even the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition of people protesting against Narmada project when Government had in the past presented a case for need for Narmada water in Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat. Today the project has attained the height of 121 meters and Gujarat has got its share of water. Narmada dam gets its water which is released from five dams in Madhya Pradesh because of hydel electricity projects on those dams.

However because of the criminal negligence of the Gujarat government, people of Kutch are not getting Narmada water and instead it flows into the sea. This is great injustice to Kutch. He alleged that water could be provided to all in Kutch using gravity principle in design. But the canal has been built to suit the needs of few favorites in the coastal area. Congress government will give topmost priority to Narmada waters to Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat.

Unfortunately the state government has ignored education, which is its Primary responsibility. It is the responsibility of the state government to fill up thousands of vacant posts of teachers. The posts should have been filled immediately in view of the code of conduct for December elections. However the CM remains busy in his personal publicity and favoring his favorites. As a result, thousands of young people qualified to become teachers have remained jobless. And thus, Gujarat government has insulted educated youth and education world by not filling thousands of posts of teachers. Gohil said that these posts can still be filled with the permission of Election Commission of India and if Gujarat government makes any such efforts, the Congress would extend support to it.

Government has not bothered even a bit about artisans of Kutch, cattle breeders and farmers. Kutch was mostly dependent upon cattle breeding, handicrafts and agriculture. After the devastating earthquake, nature has been kind to Kutch. Except for last year, Kutch has received good rainfall in last 12 years. But artisans of Kutch, cattle breeders and farmers are not getting benefits of nature because the government has given away the wealth of Kutch to Modi’s few favourite industrialists. The gaucher land has been given away to industrialists. The Banni area, famous grass lands of Kutch has also been given to industrialists, Gohil said. Any Gujarati farmer never used to sell his cattle as he could feed them in gaucher land but the present government has given away 3,30,000 acres gaucher land to industrialists. As a result a farmer has to spend Rs.60-65 per day to feed his cattle and in such a situation he has no option but to send his cattle to slaughter house. Gohil alleged that cattle are being killed in the state due to Modi’s sinful acts.

Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country. Fishermen of the state used to catch some of the best fishes here and they did not have to venture in Pakistani limits. On the contrary Pakistani fishermen used to enter Indian waters for fishing and were caught by the coastal security and put in jail. But now the situation has changed. Chief Minister’s favorites have polluted costal area of Gujarat and so fishermen of Gujarat have to go to Pakistan.

Kutch is a border state and its security is the responsibility of the Centre and the State government. Unfortunately the Gujarat government is indifferent towards security of its borders. Marine chowkies have been set up in coastal areas. The Central government has given boats for patrolling but the state government is not clearing files for recruitment of staff for handling boats. Gujarat Chief Minister wishes that terrorists come to Gujarat and kill some people, but he remains safe and his vote bank becomes strong.

The CM keeps heavy security for himself but is not bothered about common man. The CM will not get votes in the name of Ram or his work or even on his lies and so he wishes that some terrorist attack is there and he can garner votes in the name of terrorism. In the past also during election time Modi in his speech challenged terrorists and thus invited them to attack. Whether it is Akshardham or Civil hospital or any other terrorist attack, it happens before election and the CM then uses it in his election speech to make his vote bank strong. The best example of this is attack on Akshardham which is just opposite his bungalow. The bungalow had tight security while Akshardham was at the mercy of terrorists. It appears clearly that CM wishes that some terrorist attack takes place before elections.

Referring to the much acclaimed Ghar Nu Ghar scheme of the Congress, Gohil said that the CM was shaken by it. Using government money for advertisements he made a claim that his government has built lakhs of houses, however this lie was exposed by Kutch Ladayak Manch which obtained information through RTI that Gujarat government did not provide pucca houses to anyone. Congress will provide 12 LPG cylinders at subsidized rates if it comes to power in Gujarat he also said.