Congress to boycott Narmada Hydropower project dedication tomorrow

Vadodara, Jan 18 (UNI) As preparations are in full swing for dedication of 1,450 mw Narmada Dam Hydropower project to the nation at a grand function tomorrow at Kevadia colony in Gujarat, the opposition Congress has decided to boycott the programme dubbing it as ''politically motivated.'' Elated by the completion of all the 11 units of the power project and increase in the height of the Narmada dam to 121.92 metres, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had invited all six former Chief Ministers of the State, besides his Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharastra counterparts for being the partners in this inter-state multipurpose joint venture.

Ironically, only Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given his consent to attend the function, while Maharashtra's Vilashrao Deshmukh and Rajasthan's Vasundhara Raje will send their representatives to Gujarat as they were pre-occupied with other works.

Criticising Modi government for trying to take political mileage on the Narmada dam issue, Gujarat Congress legislature party leader Arjun Modhwadia said no Congress leaders or workers will participate in tomorrow's function. The event was nothing but Mr Modi's show of strength, he alleged.

Besides, former Congress Chief Ministers--Madhavsinh Solanki, Shankarsinh Vaghela, Chhabildas Mehta and Dilip Parikh, Mr Modi had invited two of his own party former Chief Ministers--Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta as special guests but both turned down the invitation citing health and other problems.

However, the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL), which is organising the event, is hopeful of drawing a huge crowd of over one lakh to the power plant's dedication ceremony.

According to SSNNL sources, all the 11 units of the hydropower plant set up at the Riverbed and Canal Head of the Narmada dam would start producing power to their full capacity of 1,450 mw from tomorrow. The authorities would release 40,000 cusecs of water from the reservoir now flowing at a level of 118.17 metres, to run the power generating turbines.

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