Bhoomipuja often carried out for political gain than execution: Gadkari

Time of India

8 hours ago

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Nagpur: Union minister
Nitin Gadkari
on Sunday said that regardless of which party is in power, dozens of project bhoomipujans are carried out, often driven by political optics than execution.
"MLA saheb wins the first election with the bhoomipujan announcement, the second after the actual bhoomipujan is done, and the third election based on budget provisions and pending work," Gadkari said, citing the example of the Gosikhurd project.
Speaking on the second day of the Vidarbha Water Conference held at Vanamati, the Union minister added, "The Gosikhurd project started at ₹360 crore. Today, over ₹12,500 crore has been spent, out of which over ₹6,000 crore was allocated when I was the water resources minister.
Yet, the project remains stagnant. Rehabilitation issues in the region are still unresolved."
Citing another example, Gadkari addressed the status of Central Road Fund (CRF) allocations, clarifying that the entire Rs7,000 crore budgeted amount had already been approved for projects. "MLAs fly to Delhi requesting approvals. Against proposals worth Rs7,000 crore, we've sanctioned the full amount. But beyond that, I can't approve more unless new provisions are made," he said.
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He stressed that govt processes inherently take time and are bound by budgetary limits. "People get excited when big projects are announced, photos are clicked during bhoomipujans, coconuts are broken — and then projects remain stuck for 25 years," Gadkari remarked.
Referring to the ongoing crisis of
farmer suicides
in Vidarbha, Gadkari pointed to water scarcity as one of the main causes, especially in districts like Akola, Washim, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Amravati, and Wardha.
"In the past few years, many farmers died by suicide. Several studies were conducted, and one of the major reasons found was water scarcity. The second key factor was the cotton price mechanism. We need to increase production, and for that, water conservation is essential.
Until irrigation is secured, farmer suicides will not stop," he said.
Speaking further on conservation, Gadkari said, "Major and medium-scale projects will continue, but what individuals can do at their level matters most.
Water that runs should be slowed, water that slows should be stopped, and the water that stops should seep into the ground — only then will groundwater levels rise."
He also emphasised the role of educational institutions in building agricultural self-sufficiency. Citing the late Dr Shrikant Jichkar, Gadkari said universities should focus on seed development, branding, and selling agricultural produce. "The income generated should go toward paying teachers' salaries.
If the revenue doesn't come in one season, it will come in the next. Without such accountability, institutions risk becoming colourless, tasteless, and odourless," he warned, urging alignment of academic research with field-level agricultural needs.
Gadkari also advocated for the creation of a regional water grid to address unequal water availability across basins. "Some basins receive excess rainfall and flood, while others remain dry.
Just like roads and power grids, a water grid is needed to move surplus water from one basin to another," he said. He added that while large projects require land acquisition, environmental clearances, and funding, basin-to-basin transfers could be launched faster through proper planning and community-led initiatives.
Gadkari cited upcoming projects in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh that aim to channel sufficient water into the Yamuna, ensuring Delhi won't face shortages at least until 2090. Drawing comparisons, he pointed out that Telangana implemented a Rs80,000 crore water project, along with 49 other previously planned projects in the southern parts, saving a significant amount of water that would have otherwise flowed directly into the sea.