Piyush Goyal blames Maharashtra agri crisis on previous Cong-NCP govt

'There is such a bad situation in irrigation area because of terrible political management of several years,' Goyal said

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal Thursday sought to put the onus of the persistent agrarian crisis in Maharashtra on the previous Congress-NCP government, even as he lauded Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for providing drinking water to parched Latur through train wagons.

Goyal also announced that Damodar Valley Corporation, that operates several power stations in Damodar River area of West Bengal will register profit in the current year.

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"Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was worried about irrigation way back in 1944 and today it is so unfortunate that chief minister Fadnavis has inherited such a severe crisis of water. There is such a bad situation in the irrigation area in the state because of terrible political management of several years," Goyal said.

He was addressing a gathering on the inaugral day of a two-day International conference on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's thoughts.

"I am in fact delighted that the chief minister has taken proactive measures like Jalyukt Shivar, to ensure small check dams come up all across the state and ensure that water can be stored and conserved," he said.

On Damodar Valley Corporation, Goyal said it was the only PSU in the coal and power sector which until last year was making losses.

"Unfortunately, for bad management, bad leadership of the sector, it is the only PSU in the coal and power sector which until last year was making losses. I think it is a fitting tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar that in his 125th birth anniversary year, Damodar Valley Corporation will register a profit after several years in this current year," he said.

The minister said the Sagar Mala project, which was launched today at the Maritime India Summit, will generate 1 crore jobs and attract investments worth Rs 1 lakh crore.

"We have excellent inland waterways which could have been used for navigation, but we have lost seven decades in making use of these inland water ways," he said.

"(Union Shipping minister) Nitin Gadkari has taken it upon himself as a challenge, the Sagar Mala Project that he has initiated and which was launched today through the Maritime Summit and (will) generate 1 crore jobs and investment of 1 lakh crore and will help complete the dream that Babasaheb started way back in 1944," Goyal said.