By IANS,
New Delhi : Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani Monday said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has not pursued inter-linking of rivers to cope with the problem of recurrent floods and droughts though the Supreme Court had also given directions on the issue.
Addressing a function on the completion of the first phase of Ganga Samagra Abhiyan here, Advani said he had told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the issue of inter-linking of rivers should be pursued.
“It was not done. Supreme Court also gave its voice that this work should be done,” Advani said.
The Supreme Court had, in February last year, directed the central government to constitute a “special committee” for inter-linking of rivers for the benefit of the country.
Advani said the court gave liberty to amicus curiae to file contempt petition in the event of non-compliance of its directions.
Pointing to party leader Uma Bharati, who led the first phase of Ganga Samagra Abhiyan, Advani said the amicus curiae could have been called to the function and urged to start the contempt petition.
Referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government’s plan for inter-linking of major rivers, Advani said it had been drawn up to deal with the recurrent problem of floods and drought in the country.