Gujarat MPs deliberate with PM over Narmada

Cutting across party lines, 26 MPs appealed to Manmohan to allow construction at Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Cutting across party lines, 26 MPs from Gujarat on Sunday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and fervently appealed to him to allow continuance of construction work at the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district.

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They told the Prime Minister that river Narmada was the lifeline of the state and the decision of the Narmada Control Authority to raise the height of the dam could not be reviewed as it was taken "unanimously".

"The Supreme Court has closed all arguments regarding construction of the dam and work on the project should not stop," BJP General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member from the state Arun Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi.

Flanked by Gujarat Congress President Bharat Solanki, he said, "the Prime Minister appeared to agree with our plea."

The all-party delegation, including some MLAs from the state, said "we unanimously oppose any such idea of stopping the work. We strongly feel the dam and the rehabilitation work should go hand in hand."