PM's visit to launch SAUNI project in Guj poll-oriented: Cong

Congress today termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Gujarat tomorrow to inaugurate the first phase of Saurashtra Narmada Avataran for Irrigation (SAUNI) project as "election oriented" and alleged that it is mere "lollipop" for farmers.
Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the first phase of SAUNI project at Dhrol taluka in Jamnagar district.
Accusing him of making "false promises" ahead of every elections, senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela today claimed Modi was coming to inaugurate a project which is still incomplete and is being launched with an eye on next year's Assembly polls.
"Modi is known to make false and deceiving promises keeping in mind the elections. Ahead of 2012 polls in Gujarat, Modi, as Gujarat Chief Minister, had launched SAUNI project.

"Now, as the polls are approaching, he is coming here to inaugurate the project which is still incomplete. Inaugurating such project is like a lollipop to farmers ahead of the polls," Vaghela alleged at a press conference.
Under the project, Gujarat government plans to fill 115 dams of Saurashtra region with one million acre feet (MAFt) of excess water of Sardar Sarovar Dam across Narmada river. The government claims that around three MAFt water overflows from the dam and goes into sea every monsoon.

Out of four phases of SAUNI project, Modi will inaugurate the first phase which covers 10 dams.

Vaghela also said the BJP government should wait for two months to see if the scheme is actually yielding any results.
"Since at present monsoon is active over Gujarat, majority of the dams are getting new water through rain. In such case, there is no need to fill these through SAUNI scheme. The government should wait for two months and try to fill up dams through Sauni scheme when these dry up.
"We doubt that government would get excess water after two months, as Sardar Sarovar Dam overflows for just 15 days during monsoon. Thus, we wonder how government would get excess water once monsoon is over," the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly said.

Congress' Gujarat chief Bharatsinh Solanki also questioned the timing of the Prime Minister's visit.
"The Prime Minister's visit is part of BJP's poll related exercise. BJP always remembers farmers during elections. If they (BJP) were serious about solving problems of farmers, then they should have finished the Narmada canal network by now. But, sadly, 50 per cent work is still pending," Solanki alleged.
He said the Congress will "expose" BJP and its government on various issues concerning farmers in the coming days by organising various programmes in Saurashtra region.