White paper on irrigation corporations needed, says NCP

Addressing a press conference, NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said that the Krishna Valley Development Corporation, Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation (KIDC), Tapi Irrigation Development Corporation (TIDC), Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) and Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) were formed during the Sena-BJP government.

"Work orders issued were more than budgetary provisions, resulting in delay of work. Bonds were issued. A white paper should include reasons why irrigation projects were lying incomplete," he said.

Without naming BJP leaders Gopinath Munde, Eknath Khadse, Mahadev Shiwankar, who held the irrigation portfolio during the Sena-BJP tenure, Malik said, "People have a right to know how work orders were given without funds by these corporations," he added.

Rejecting activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal's charge that BJP president Nitin Gadkari and NCP leader Ajit Pawar were hand in gloves in the irrigation scam, Malik said Gadkari as leader of opposition in the legislative council wrote a letter to Ajit Pawar in 2005 regarding the land. Pawar endorsed the letter in four days and sent it to the concerned department. The allotment was done after three years.

"Kejriwal has incomplete information," he said.

Malik also demand that the Centre must transfer Indu Mill land free of cost for the Ambedkar memorial.