Gujarat water drive meant to divert attention from graft: Ex-CM

Former chief minister Suresh Mehta alleged that the recent drive to conserve water undertaken by the Gujarat government was a “fabrication to hide deep-seated corruption”.

The government had undertaken the month-long programme in May with an aim to deepen existing ponds, recharge ground water level and ensure better harvesting of rain water in the local water bodies. Mehta was reacting to the government’s claim of successful completion of the drive.

Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, Mehta alleged that the programme was an effort on the part of the Vijay Rupani government to divert attention from allegations of corruption in Gujarat Land Development Corporation.


Mehta said that it was not without reason that the drive was announced right after a huge amount of cash was allegedly recovered from the drawers of senior officers of GLDC. He said the government had taken water conservation tasks from the corporation, handed them over to the Narmada and Water Resources Department and named the month-long programme Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan.

Alleging that the Sujalam Sufalam scheme was riddled with scams, Mehta and his associates said that water conservation work had been going on in the state for long under Sardar Patel Water Conservation Scheme.