E-Paper
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Kolhapur villagers boycott polls over incomplete irrigation project
District collector’s assurance to start the plan after rainy season convinces 10 out of 18 villages to use their right to vote
The polling centres at 18 villages in Kolhapur district wore a deserted look till 1 pm on Tuesday. Reason: villagers have decided to not cast vote for the Lok Sabha elections to protest over the non-completion of Dhamani medium irrigation project in the district.
It took district collector Avinash Subedar to meet the villagers and assure them that the project work will begin after the monsoon for the latter to use their right to vote.
Subedar said, “I met the villagers and told them to cast their votes with an assurance of commencing the project after the rainy season. Whether villagers vote or not, the dam work is scheduled to begin after the monsoon.”
According to the collector, till 1 pm, zero voting was reported in Kolhapur’s Vetawade Tal Panhala. However, the voting in these villages began later.
As per the project details, the scheme involves construction of dams, channels and embankments. The revised deadline to complete the project is March 2020. The government has already spent over Rs 304 crore on the project which aims to bring 1,400 hectares from Panhala, Gaganbavada and Radhanagari talukas under irrigation.
An earthen dam will be constructed with a capacity of 109 million cubic metres. The project is being executed through the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation. The scheme was stalled because of the agitation by project-affected people over the last one decade. The work will resume as the government and local public representatives have assured to rehabilitate the affected people.
The project involves implementation of Dhamani irrigation scheme at Radhanagari in Kolhapur district. The project will irrigate 1,400 hectares spread across 25 villages from Panhala, Gaganbavada and Radhanagari talukas, besides the construction of 74.64m long earthen dam.
