BJP disputes govt claims on Ganga Kalyana scheme

The Legislative Council saw stalling of proceedings for no less than four hours after the Opposition BJP protested against the government response on the Ganga Kalyana scheme, which provides borewells to SC/STs through the Ambedkar Development Board.

When the issue was raised during the Question Hour by BJP member Y A Narayanswamy, there was a heated debate between the BJP and the Congress. Further, the Opposition disputed the claims of the Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya over the success of the scheme. 

While the government asserted that 26,040 borewells had been dug across the State under the scheme, Narayanswamy claimed that the response was wrong and that 50 per cent of these borewells had failed. “Despite this, the government has paid the bills to the contractors which has resulted in crores of loss to the government,” he said.

While the government stuck to its reply, which implied that all the 26,040 borewells were successfully generating water, the BJP demanded a Joint House Committee probe into the scheme. The Opposition noted that  in Kolar and Chikkaballapur, 1,721 and 1,152 borewells had been removed in the last five years as per the government’s own response.

“If such is the case, then which is the correct response? Of the 26,040 borewells, didn’t any of them fail,” Eshwarappa sought to know.