Despite the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) expressing concerns over allowing private industrial houses to acquire irrigated land in command areas of irrigation projects, the Odisha government continues to give permission for acquisition of such land.
The latest permission for acquisition of land in the command area was given by the Department of Water Resources to RSB Transmission Limited which proposes to establish an industry in villages Mania, Shyamsundarpur and Naranpur in Cuttack district.
The company has already made direct purchase of 78.297 acres of land in these villages which fall under Darpani branch canal of Rengali Right Canal System.
One of the conditions put forward by the Water Resources department is the company would have to compensate two times of irrigation command areas and make up the loss of command area for 78.297 acres by creating irrigated land through lift irrigation points in the affected areas.
The CAG in a report last year pointed out that three companies which had signed memorandum of understanding with the State government had acquired 2,000.695 acre of irrigated land lying in command area of irrigation projects that resulted in loss of 2,304.84 acre of irrigation potential.
Most of the land was acquired in command area of Rengali irrigation project. The modus operandi was the same. Companies were asked to deposit funds for lift irrigation projects. Water right activist and farmer leaders have long been voicing their protest against acquisition of irrigated land in favour of industries.
