Asking Congress to desist from doing politics on projects for cleaning Ganga and river interlinking, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Thursday offered to make presentations to party chief Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders to explain the ground realities.
"One Congress leader says that Namami Gange is a programme with <g data-gr-id="35">saffron</g> agenda. I am ready for a presentation before opposition leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjuna Kharge and Mulayam Singh Yadav on what Ganga project is all about," she told reporters to highlight achievements of her ministry on completion of NDA Government's first year.
Stressing that cleansing the holy river was connected with the livelihood of 50 crore people, Bharti said that the entire economy of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh was dependent on river Ganga.
"If you say that it is a saffron agenda, then you should re-think. I am ready for a presentation at their residence.
So, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjuna Kharge should educate their party leaders that Namami Gange is a project concerning the livelihood of 50 crore people," she said.
Bharti said that the Centre has decided to fully fund the massive clean up project for which Rs 20,000 crores has been earmarked by the Government recently and the state governments need not share their finances for the programme. The Union Minister also attacked the opposition parties in Maharashtra for playing politics over Damanganga-<g data-gr-id="32">Pinjal</g> and Par-Tapi links, implemented by NDA Government under another ambitious project of interlinking rivers in the country.
"The opposition parties in Maharashtra are doing politics over Damanganga-<g data-gr-id="30">Pinjal</g> and Par-Tapi links. It is very sad....In a bid to manage river water going waste into the sea, we have initiated the Par-Tapi link," she pointed out.
The Minister said she was ready to make a presentation to Congress leaders on this also. Asked about Met department predicting deficient rainfall this year, Bharti said that her ministry is ready to deal with the situation.
"We are in touch with various ministries including the ministries of rural development for MNREGA, food and civil supplies. I hope the predictions of poor monsoon turn wrong.But, we are ready to deal with the situation," she stated.