Maharashtra govt panel to probe issues related to Medigadda Barrage
The committee will also take up with the Telangana government the issue of compensation for farmers in Sironcha whose lands were submerged
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has formed a six-member panel to probe into the problems that arose in Maharashtra due to the Medigadda Barrage project in neighbouring Telangana.
The previous Devendra Fadnavis led government had signed MoU for the barrage with the Telangana government in 2016. Land was acquired in Sironcha area of Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra for the project.
The barrage was inaugurated by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao last year at an event which was also attended by then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The panel has been asked to submit its report within a month. The water resources department of the Maharashtra government has issued a government resolution (GR) in this connection recently.
The Nagpur divisional commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar will be heading the panel, along with collector of Gadchiroli district Deepak Singla, the Gondia district collector Dr Kadambari Balkawade, chief engineer of water resource, Nagpur, Superintending Engineer of Irrigation Project Investigation Board of Nagpur will be included as a members. While the member secretary of the panel will be the engineer of the Irrigation Project Board of Chandrapur. The government has also given a term of reference to investigate it.
According to the term of reference, the panel would find out whether the provisions of the inter-state agreement between Maharashtra and Telangana have been breached. The state has also asked the panel to investigate whether Mantralaya had issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) after submission of a report of the forest land that will be submerged (due to the project).
“The local office of deputy conservator for forest had raised objections on certain aspects while the construction was on, but the then district collector instructed him not to act, it will be probed under whose pressure it was done,” it further added.
The committee will also take up with the Telangana government the issue of compensation for farmers in Sironcha whose lands were submerged.