Ali Khad water scheme: BJP stages walkout from HP Assembly, demands quashing of FIR against protestors

The BJP MLAs walked out from the assembly on Thursday demanding an assurance from the state government that the FIR against those protesting over the construction of Ali Khad drinking water scheme would be withdrawn.

The BJP claims if water is lifted for this scheme from Ali Khad 'stream', several panchayat areas in Naina Devi and Bilas Sadar would not get enough water.

The BJP's move comes as a case of rioting and obstructing public servants from performing their duty has been registered against the protestors on the Solan-Bilaspur border post their dissent on Tuesday.

BJP MLA Randhir Sharma, who raised this issue in the House, demanded that the work on the scheme be stopped forthwith and the FIR against the protesters be withdrawn.

Sharma, the MLA from Shri Naina Devi, who also sustained injury along with several others during the protest on Tuesday, alleged that the police stopped the protestors, resorted to lathi-charge, pelted stones on them and even registered FIR against them.

Asserting that construction of this scheme would lead to closure of 24 drinking water and seven irrigation schemes and 15 gharats (traditional water mills), Sharma said that panchayats of Naina Devi and Bilaspur Sadar assembly constituencies of Bilaspur would be deprived of drinking water and irrigation facilities.

The BJP leader added that work on this scheme was still continuing even after an assurance from the chief minister.

Parliamentary Affairs and Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that dispute between two districts is an important issue and the reply would be given in the House tomorrow. The contractor has been told to stop the work and if the work is still continuing then an explanation would be sought, he added.

Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said that the matter has been listed for a detailed discussion tomorrow but the BJP members raised slogans and left the House while insisting on an assurance from the chief minister on withdrawal of cases.

The BJP MLA later told PTI that several people, including him, Zila Parishad members and women, sustained injuries in police action.

The police had on Tuesday registered cases against the protestors after eight persons, including seven policemen and one Home Guard jawan, were injured.

The police had said that around 400 protestors gathered near Navgaon village on the border of Solan and Bilaspur districts and forcefully stopped the ongoing work of the scheme. The protestors started pelting stones after the leaders finished their speeches, they said.

Opposing the construction of the Ali Khad drinking water supply scheme at Triveni Ghat on the border of Bilaspur and Solan districts, the residents of Bilaspur are protesting for the past 22 days, claiming that Bilaspur town will face acute water crisis in the coming time if this scheme is completed.

They affirm that 10 lakh litres of water would be lifted every day after the construction of this scheme and demand the Jal Shakti Department, Arki Mandal, to construct a water reservoir on Ali Khad and abandon the lift water supply scheme or lift water from Kol dam.