India News | Bhubaneswar BJP MP Picks Up Sickle, Digs Encroached Water Channel

Bhubaneswar, Sep 7 (PTI) Firebrand BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Thursday picked up a sickle and dug a government irrigation channel of Deras minor irrigation project, which was allegedly blocked by an influential person preventing flow of water to around 300 acres of farmland.

The MP along with farmers of nearby Bhagabatipur and Giringaput villages dug the soil in an attempt to restore the concrete canal channel, which was earlier used to irrigate farmlands in the area.

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She has served a three-day ultimatum to the state government to clear the water channel allegedly buried by an influential person.

"We dug State Govt Irrigation Channel near Deras MIP today. Blocking of Canal water to 300 Ac of land is done with support from a 'BIG' official in @CMO_Odisha. Helpless & Voiceless deserve Help, not Harassment. Please follow 'RAJADHARMA'", she wrote on X.

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Farmers of nearby villages had expressed their resentment as the canal meant for irrigation had been covered and turned into a personal road.

"I will send a letter to the state irrigation department to remove the encroachment within three days, or else farmers will remove it and restore the canal by themselves," Sarangi told reporters.

"Our aim is to provide water to farmers from Deras dam. An influential woman with the help of some officials has obstructed the irrigation project," Sarangi said, adding as per the map shown by the state irrigation department, 400m of land has been encroached.

Stating that they found concrete channel buried under the earth, Sarangi said it is a sheer injustice to poor farmers of the area. "We strongly protest it. For the benefit of the farmers, we have to remove the obstruction and restore the project," she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)