New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday demanded that the Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project be scrapped as it is against the interests of tribals.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Congress leaders Shaktisinh Gohil, Sukhram Rathva, Naranbhai Rathwa, Anant Patel and Gourav Vallabh alleged that the Centre is seeking to benefit certain industrialists in Gujarat through the project.

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Gohil, who has been a minister of the irrigation department, said the Centre's priority should be to provide drinking water to people first, before diverting water for other purposes.

"The government should completely scrap the Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project to protect tribal land in Gujarat," he said.

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The Gujarat Congress is alleging that the project will displace the tribal residents of the region as it intends to change the course of the rivers, which will have devastating results.

The Centre has decided not to give a go-ahead to the Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project, following strong protests against it by tribals, Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil said on Tuesday.

The Congress dubbed the decision, which comes ahead of the state Assembly polls due in December, as a "lollipop" for tribals, and said the protests will continue until the Centre issues a "white paper" on scrapping of the project.

Tribals from south Gujarat districts have been protesting against the project ever since Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech last month that the Draft Project Report (DPR) of the project and four other river-linking projects have been finalised.

The Congress had also organised a rally in Gujarat against the project, in which many tribals had participated.

(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)