BJP condems delay in completing Avinasi-Athikadavu project

BJP agriculture wing condemned enormous delay in completing the Athikadavu-Avinasi water project. After visiting the Avinasi-Athikadavu project site,  G.K.Nagaraj, State President of the wing said ''after 60 years of struggle of the farmers of Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur districts, the AIADMK regime allotted Rs.1756.88 crores and inaugurated the project 28.02.2019.

It should have been completed by January 2021. Though 99% of the work has been completed, the DMK government was showing laxity in completing the project. Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said the project will be delayed without fully understanding the project.

After the BJP agriculture team visited the project site three months back, the government ordered to provide funds to the land owners of Mullampatti, Nallakaundanpalayam and Kalingarayanpalayam for laying pipelines under the project in their lands. Due to delay in giving compensation, the pipeline laying work was stopped in 4 km stretch.

Then the Minister Muthuswamy, who visited the stir of BJP held on 25.08.2022, promised to talk to the Chief Minister and take appropriate action.  Then, the Chief Minister promised that the project will be completed in a few months in a meeting held at Perundurai.

So,  Minister Muthuswamy held talks with the farmers to give the first installment of compensation.  But, now, 70 m of the pipeline was not yet laid.  The second phase of compensation was not yet given. However, minister Duraimurugan's contradictory speech created fears that the project was being deliberately delayed. 

If the project was completed as planned, 1045 ponds could have been filled with Bavani river water.  Due to the delay in completion of the project, 100 TMC of water went into the sea.   Therefore, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu should intervene and complete the scheme by January 15, 2023 as promised by Minister Muthuswamy, he pleaded.