Modi interacts with Gujarat MPs on pending projects

By ENN, Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Narendra Modi held a high- level meet with Members of Parliament from Gujarat to make them conversant with the Narmada dam and various other projects relating to the state pending for approval with the Centre, official sources said today.

Mr Modi told them that the state government was carrying on its tradition of keeping the MPs informed on various pending issues of the state at Central level so that the MPs can take a proactive approach in Parliament, stay away from partypolitics and keep the growth of the state going.

He suggested them to make representations on the 49 issues while the Central budget is being prepared.

He said the project of building Narmada dam gate and raising the height of the dam to 138.68 meter has not been approved by the Centre.

Because of the restrictions imposed by the Environment Ministry, work on many new growth-oriented projects costing about Rs 100 crore has come to a standstill, he said.

He requested the MPs to take up the issue of providing grant for the 'Project Lion' relating the Gir forest, the only abode of Asiatic lions, in Parliament.

He also drew the attention of MPs on the project of linking canals of Par-Tapi-Narmada rivers, a joint project of the Gujarat and Maharashtra Governments, which has been approved by both the Central and Maharashtra Government. He said the project is expected to cost Rs 6,016 crore and will enrich two lakh hectares of land.

Pointing out that the Central Government owed Rs 2,066 crore as a refund of sales-tax, Mr Modi said the state was facing injustice from the Centre in the area of gas and requested the MPs to take up the issue so that small and medium industrial units of Gujarat can get gas at a reasonable cost.

Other issues raised at the meeting included inadequate availability of salt wagons, doubling of the grant for the scheme for saltworkers, developing state highways and coastal highways under National Highway project, approving of the states' proposal for the Prime Ministers' Gram Sadak Yojana, developing an international-level Central University in Gujarat, developing an IIIT in Gujarat, proposals for road and railways, modernisation of police force, projects of border security and other issues.