On Wednesday, during the Question Hour of the Assembly, Minister Kedar Kashyap was surrounded by the MLAs of his party besides the opposition. The minister appeared to be entangled in the case of death of tiger in Gamerda Sanctuary and Bhainsajhar Irrigation Project. There was tremendous debate and controversy within the House.
Congress MLA Raghavendra Singh raised questions regarding the Arpa-Bhainsajhar irrigation project. In response, Minister Kedar Kashyap said that work is going on in it and irrigation work is being done in about 12 and a half thousand hectares. Work worth around Rs 8.5 crore is left. After which irrigation facility will be available in 25000 hectares.
The MLA asked for information as to how many times the time of this project was extended. The minister replied that the project time has been extended 8 times. Congress MLA said- Work has been stalled for 10 years. The minister again said that the work will be completed soon.
Dharamlal’s patience broke
Dharamlal Kaushik lashed out at his own minister. Kaushik said that the Minister is telling that out of 25000, irrigation has started in 12000, which means even half is not done yet. There is a delay. Second, costs are increasing. Payment has been made even in those whose fields the canal has not been laid. Money has been given without building the canal. An amount of more than Rs 10 crore has been paid and when will it take to return it. When will we take action against the officials?
In response to this, Minister Kedar Kashyap said that action has been taken against the concerned officers. There has been a delay due to land acquisition issues. Kaushik asked to ensure by when action will be taken against the officers found guilty. Minister Kedar said – We will take whatever legal action will be taken against the officers through whom this mistake has been made, for the additional payment of about Rs. 8 crores, on whose fields the canal was not built.
Dharamlal Kaushik was not satisfied with this answer and asked when the action would be taken. Meaning you are trying to save. You will not get any benefit, neither the canal work nor irrigation is being done and after that the cost amount is increasing. If you will take action then in how many years will it take, not soon, tell us that the time limit should be two months, one month, 15 days. And secondly, how long will it take to recover the money that has been paid to the wrong person? Kedar Kashyap said that immediate action is being taken to recover the wrong payment.
Dharamjit said that the contractor is powerful and
this matter of irrigation project kept dragging on. MLA Dharamjit Singh stood up in the House and said- There is an irrigation project in 25000 hectares. The Minister is saying that currently irrigation is being done in 12 and a half thousand hectares, which means only 50% of the target has been achieved. I want to ask you this, you are answering on one side that 80% of the canal has been constructed, after the construction of 80% of the canal, how is irrigation being done in only 12 and a half hectares. I will not ask at all why you extended the time eight times, after extending the time eight times I have understood how powerful the contractor is.
Dharamjit asked the minister – I want to know one thing from you that when will irrigation be done in 25000 hectares and we have many other queries which we cannot debate so much in the House with your officials. Would you mind sitting on the side of Bhainsajhar Dam along with Engineer, Chief Engineer and Executive Engineer and evaluate and verify the site and physically visit it?
Charan Das Mahant asked in this matter who is the contractor there whom Dharamjit ji was referring to, please tell the name of that contractor. Minister Kedar said that he will give this information later, Ajay Chandrakar interrupted and said that no, this information can be given. The minister again said – The agency named M/s Radheshyam Aggarwal and Sunil Aggarwal has done the work. Dr. Raman Singh said that once you go with senior MLAs and officials, solve the problem in Bilaspur and hold a meeting. The minister agreed.
Kaushik was pained
to see that concrete facts were not coming out in the matter. Dharamlal Kaushik said – Lal Krishna Advani Saheb laid the foundation stone. Dr. Raman Singh ji was the Chief Minister. Our pain is that the work has not been completed till now, its lining has been changed, its design has been changed, its map has been changed, efforts are being made to save those found guilty, what are they trying to do in it? Dr. Raman Singh said that Minister Kedar Kashyap will relieve your pain, Kaushik said that he will not relieve any pain, Dr. Raman said – whether the pain will go away or not, tell in this assembly itself.
Mahant was worried about tiger and pig.
After this it was Charan Das Mahant’s turn to question. Dr. Raman Singh said that his question is very sensitive. Ajay Chandrakar said- Charandas Mahant himself is very sensitive. Dr. Raman said – I would like to congratulate him on his constant questioning as he worries about pigs and tigers… everyone started laughing after hearing this. Dr. Raman Singh again said – Leader of Opposition worries about mute animals.
MLA Dharamjeet told Dr. Raman that the Leader of Opposition has come forward to protect the lion, I was requesting you to issue instructions immediately like Vidya Charan Shukla had kept a lion in his house when he was the Union Minister in Delhi. Give a small lion cub to our Mahant ji and get him introduced to the Forest Department in his new bungalow… Everyone started laughing.
In response to this, Mahant said that Dr. Sahib, you belong to the royal family, so the desire and responsibility to keep the lion is yours, we are poor people. Dr. Raman Singh said that you also have close relations with the royal family. Everyone started smiling after hearing why you are hiding it.
Then the dead tiger troubled the minister.
Regarding the tiger killed in Gomarda, Charandas Mahant said that last time when I drew attention to the issue of investigation into the death of the tiger, the minister has accepted that a judicial inquiry is going on, hence We are sitting silently, now you tell us which judicial inquiry is going on. If you want to say that the department is making you say false statements then you will be trapped, tell me who is conducting the judicial inquiry and on whose orders is it being conducted?
Minister Kedar Kashyap stood up to answer and said – The incident that happened in Gomarda was very sad. The people who caused the death of the tiger have been arrested as accused. I was also looking at their names and the way they had put up wire to protect their fields to protect their crops, their intention was not to hunt the tiger. But unfortunately the incident happened there.
Charan Das Mahant interrupted the minister and said – I want to know directly from the minister that a judicial inquiry is going on. It has been said that I have the records of the assembly. In response, the minister said that because at present a judicial inquiry is going on in it, hence There is no need to constitute any separate committee. Once the complete report of investigation comes, then I will take separate action in this matter. Then the doctor made me sit. Tell me what judicial investigation is going on. Minister, don’t take tension, quietly ask for an answer as to whether a judicial inquiry is going on. If you have told a lie, then apologize for it.
Kedar Kashyap again said in reply – The question raised by the Leader of Opposition is as per the standards of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the procedure in practice, the SOP, the investigation officer appointed by the Forest Department in relation to the incident of death of a wild animal, a tiger. All that has to be done is that his appointment has been made. Mahant said in an angry tone – I have come after reading the book, I know the whole process, I will make the officials read the book, do not try to fool me.
Mahant said – Judicial investigation department cannot do it, judges are appointed in it. You cannot do that, the department cannot do that, I am only talking about judicial inquiry. Why did you say that a judicial inquiry is going on? Just tell me that I have made a mistake, I am lying, I am expressing regret and my demand is that the team of MLAs is accepting the inquiry or not.
Minister Kashyap said – If the accused is in judicial custody under Section 55 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, then the complaint should be filed within 60 days from the date of arrest of the accused, which after the period ends on March 25, 2024, will be filed with the Chief Judicial Magistrate. In the first category, the court challan will be filed as per rules. Mahant again said, I am asking to show the order of judicial inquiry.
Minister Kedar Kashyap, seeing the continuous attack on the statement of judicial inquiry, said that the answer I have given may have been misinterpreted. You had said judicial inquiry, Mahant said – I am saying that you should express regret if you have told untruth to the team of MLAs. Get an investigation done, what will happen to the minister and the House will know the real facts. Minister Kedar said – The accused caught in this have been sent to jail, apart from this, if anyone else is found guilty then action will be taken against him. Charan Das Minister again said that there is no question of guilt, he has said in the House with his own mouth that judicial inquiry is going on, show me the order of judicial inquiry. It doesn’t matter to me who will go in and who will stay out, you have said judicial inquiry, you are wrong. There was silence in the House for a few seconds, Kedar Kashyap could not say anything, then he said – What I meant in the context of judicial inquiry was that we have done it under the criminal case.
Other MLAs also raised issues.
After this, Vidyawati Sidar raised the issue of pending revenue cases in Raigarh district. Harshita Swami Baghel took information from Minister Tank Ram regarding the land of tribal community in Rajnandgaon Khairagarh district. Sampat Aggarwal also asked for information about the notary working in Raipur division, all this information was given by the ministers. The issue regarding recruitment of notaries was also raised in the Assembly on which Arun Sao assured to take action soon. After this Dr. Raman Singh announced the end of the question hour.
