Post News Network
Paralakhemundi, August 26: Andhra Pradesh government has allegedly set its eyes on the natural resources of Orissa where it doesn’t even hesitate to flout the norms of Central government and the agreements between two states.
A case in point is use of Orissa water. While Orissa has been battling with water woes for years, AP government has to clear Rs 3 crore towards tax payable to the state for using its water resources. Moreover, the latter is trying to set up new dam projects on the rivers connecting both the states. Silence of the Orissa government on the issue baffles many.
According to reports, the residents of the neighbouring state have been using the water of existing rivers, ponds and other water bodies of Gajapati district for years. Instead of paying the tax to Orissa, the AP government is trying to change the route of the rivers by setting up several dam projects to its advantage.
Sources say the erstwhile Paralakhemundi administration used to collect water tax from Andhra Pradesh till 1936. However, the practice was stopped following abolition of zamindari system. Orissa government had not collected the tax for several years even as the AP farmers continued to use the water of the state. After the death of the king of Paralakhemundi, an MoU was inked between both the governments December 15, 1978 in presence of the respective Chief Ministers of the states. According to the agreement, the AP government was to pay taxes to its neighbouring state for using its water. Even the former had agreed to bear 30 per cent of the repair and maintenance cost of the irrigation projects used by it. However, the present establishment in AP doesn’t care to honour the agreement.
Interestingly, several people’s representatives from Andhra including president of Meliaputty Mandal Salari Mohan Rao and sarpanches of Basundhara and Narasandra, Kasamala came out in support of Orissa.
The Andhra government should clear the water tax so that the farmers here can avail the resources, they said.
Despite the outstanding payments, the AP government is reportedly setting up an offshore project to use the water of river Mahendratanaya. People of Orissa stand to lose if AP goes ahead with this project and a few others on river Banshadhara. It may be mentioned that AP authorities had not opened the gates of Gota barrage project on Banshadhara during flood in 1980, which had resulted in huge loss of lives and properties in Orissa.
Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of Mahendratanaya project to give a befitting reply to the neighbour, the project is yet to take-off even after seven years. The AP government is taking advantage of our weaknesses, locals rued.
They demanded to stop supplying water completely to AP and collect water tax payable to Orissa.