Date:20/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/20/stories/2007072055881500.htm

National

Congress for tabling of panel report on irrigation project

Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR: About 200 Gujarat Congress workers on Thursday were rounded up when they tried to enter the Assembly to to demand the tabling of the House Public Accounts Committee report. The report alleged irregularities in the allocation of contracts in an irrigation project.

A rally, organised by the party, started after Leader of the Opposition Arjun Modhvadia ended his 72-hour fast prior to the beginning of a two-day monsoon session of the Assembly. While Mr. Modhvadia and other Congress MLAs were allowed to go by the police to enable them to attend the House and participate in the voting in the Presidential elections, other partymen were prevented from entering the Assembly.

As the rallyists became unruly and tried to break the security cordon, the police sprayed water cannons and resorted to a mild lathicharge before rounding up about 200 of them. However, they were released after the polling and the proceedings of the House ended.

The PAC report, which the Congress wants to be tabled in the House, is believed to have “exposed” corruption in Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s dream irrigation project, “Sujalam Sufalam.”

The project aims at linking the rivers in south Gujarat so that the excess water can be carried through open canals to the dry northern region.