To
Sri Niranjan Pujari
Hon'ble Minister; Ex-Speaker; MLA, Sonepur
Dear Sri Pujari ji,
'Sonepur constituency is abundant with irrigation supply', didn't you say me so when I went to meet you on Tuesday morning, Mr Minister?
Let me start first by thanking you. The cup of tea that I got at your residence was really good.
But that was not what had allured me to meet you Pujari ji, MLA of Sonepur, a senior Minister and former Speaker of the Assembly. I was expecting you to be conscious of and concerned about woefully serious problems and errors with the District Irrigation Plan.
I had just started my first sentence, 'Sir, the Sonepur District Irrigation Plan has huge errors and needs to be corrected', when you abruptly interrupted me and said 'why have you come to me? I have nothing to do with that. This is not at all a problem or a concern for me as my constituency is abundant and overflowing with irrigation water. I am least bothered about what any irrigation plan says or does'.
This was a horrific reply. That was a shocker for me. I could not believe that a Cabinet Minister can give such a reply. Still, I tried to maintain my composure and requested you, 'sir, this is a plan which will decide irrigation approach for next five years and beyond and what I am expecting from you to just tell the district administration to take necessary corrective measures.' You said, why should I be bothered to tell anybody, as I have already said this is not my problem. I have enough water in my constituency. Besides, this is not a problem for me waste my time as I have other important work'.
Mr Minister, you will hopefully remember me telling you, 'sir, this is a problem of the district and a policy matter also. As a representative of the district and as a Minister you should be concerned and duty bound'. This probably agitated you more, Mr Minister; wasn't it? You asked me, 'have you come to quarrel with me?' I was astonished. I politely but with a totally shocked expression asked you, 'is informing our public representative about a problem, which is a public cause in nature, a quarrel?' But, that didn't deter you, Mr Minister.
Mr Minister, I hope you will remember what I said while I got off the chair and started getting out of your chamber. I said 'I committed a mistake. I should not have come to you. It was wastage of my time as well as your time'. I also said that I will remember this interaction for long.
I came out of your office, Mr Minister. But, I wish to tell you something more that I could not tell you there. And this is not about the District Irrigation Plan, which was originally in mind to brief you. What I will tell here is about your ignorance and your arrogance.
Mr Pujari ji, do you need the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik ji or your party the Biju Janata Dal to remind you that Sonepur and Tarbha blocks are also part of your constituency?
Mr Minister, I am not saying that your views will not be supported by any. There are two categories of people who will surely concur with your view that your constituency is abundant with irrigation water, (a) the naives or ignorants, and (b) the psychophants. Unfortunately, I am none.
I am constrained to tell you, Mr Minister, that your vision has huge problems. It is true that your native Rampur in Sonepur district is abundant with Hirakud canal water. But your native is only a minuscule section of your constituency, isn't it so Mr Minister? It is true that nearly half of your constituency is part of the Hirakud irrigation command area. But it is also true that the whole of Sonepur and Tarbha blocks are part of your constituency. I am sorry but you are also required to be told that the majority of the Hirakud command area within your constituency is mostly constituted of the tail command.
Mr Minister and MLA of Sonepur, I hope you do not need the Chief Minister who also holds the Ministry of Water Resources Sri Naveen Patnaik ji to tell you what is the current irrigation coverage of Sonepur and Tarava blocks. If you are not aware of the status, let me tell you the irrigation status of those two blocks by referring to the same District Irrigation Plan about which I was intending to brief you. Mr Pujariji, In Tarbha block the irrigation potential created so far is only 18% and in Sonepur block it is 32%. In both these blocks irrigation coverage has not reached even the 35% level, the bare minimum benchmark that was set by the Odisha government, of which you are Minister too, about a decade ago.
Are you not ashamed of or outraged by that fact, Mr Minister and MLA of Sonepur? Are you not a representative of Sonepur and Tarva blocks? Or, are you totally ignorant of those?
Mr Minister, people of Sonepur constituency, if not people of Sonepur district or Odisha, have reasons to feel cheated. But, why blame them? When so called literate people in America can falter and choose a Trump as President, it is difficult to blame Sonepur people for electing you. Sometimes, decision taking abilities get affected by many variables and factors.
Mr Minister, your reaction, behavior and approach was outrageous and offending. I am ashamed that you were once MLA of my constituency, Binika. The Biju Janata Dal should feel ashamed that the party has a District President in you who is either not aware or is ignorant about the composition of his constituency - leave alone about the areas beyond that - and by doing so, demonstrates a vision that is awfully narrow - a vision that does not progress beyond his tiny native. People of Tarbha and Sonepur blocks should take note you, and what you think about that area, who unfortunately will remain their representative till two years and so more.
Mr Minister, I am sorry for the use of strong words here. But the manner in which you responded to a concern regarding a public cause deserves no less. To add, I have complete disdain for people who are arrogant. You do not deserve any regard from farmers who are thirsty of irrigation, Mr Minister.
I do wish you good luck for your personal life, but it is unfortunate that people like you are our political representatives and have become Ministers.
 |
| Please read the table, Mr Minister (Page 178 of the District Irrigation Plan) |
As I decide to conclude, I will like you to have a look at the sample snapshot of a page from the Sonepur 'District Irrigation Plan'. It says the district has no availability of irrigation water from suface water sources. So, how can your Constituency is abundant in irrigation supply, Mr Minister?
It is up to you, Mr Minister. I hope that some good sense will prevail in you.
With regards
Bimal Prasad Pandia
(Note, since the Minister has defied directives of the CMO Odisha Naveen Patnaik ji to communicate with people through social media and has not opened any Twitter or Facebook ID, I am not being able to send this message directly through social media to him. I will send this message through a conventional letter to Sri Niranjan Pujari at his Rampur address.)
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