Leaders of a farmers' body in Orissa Tuesday refused to talk with a ministerial team that had gone to meet them to discuss industrial use of water from the state's Hirakud dam.

Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik had deputed state revenue minister Manmohan Samal, steel and mines minister Padmanav Behera, road and transport minister Jaya narayan Mishra and agriculture minister Surendra Nath Nayak to talk with agitating farmers in western Orissa.

The ministers Tuesday arrived in Sambalpur, some 300 km from the state capital, and contacted some of the farmer leaders for discussion, Paschim Orissa Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSS) leader Lingaraj told IANS.

'We refused to talk to them because their intention was not clear,' he said.

'We got a letter from the administration that says that the team wants to discuss with us about the use of dam water for industrial use,' Lingaraj added.

The government seems to be more concerned for industries than farmers, he alleged. That is why we refused to meet the team, he said.

Hundreds of farmers have been opposing industrial use of water from the 25.8-km long Hirakud dam - one of the longest dams in the world, located about 15 km from Sambalpur.

Farmers have been holding rallies in the state's western districts under the banner of POKSS. They built a 15-ft long and five-ft high brick wall near Jamadarpali airstrip located close to the Hirakud dam Sunday.

The wall, described as 'chasi rekha' (farmer's line), has been built near the pipes Vedanta Resources Plc has constructed to draw water from the dam for its plant in Jharsuguda district.

Vedanta is building a $2.1-billion greenfield aluminium smelter plant together with an associated 1,215 MW captive thermal power plant.

The company will draw at least 172 cusecs of water per day from the dam, which could provide irrigation to at least 17,200 acres, Lingaraj told IANS.

'The state government is already diverting irrigation water from the dam to at least eight industries,' he alleged.

As a result, more than 50,000 farmers in the command areas do not get water for their farms, the farmer leader said.

The government had decided to divert more water from the dam for mega industries in the region in the coming days, Lingaraj alleged, adding that would deprive more farmers of water.

The state government has already permitted 20 more industries to draw at least 348.755 cusec of water in the coming days, he alleged.

'We will not allow any industry to use the dam water for industrial purposes,' Lingaraj said.

'The wall we have built is to stop Vedanta from drawing dam water. The fight is not against Vedanta alone but also against all upcoming industries that are planning to draw water from the dam,' he added.

More than a dozen people were injured last week when police baton charged thousands of farmers attempting to enter a prohibited area of Hirakud dam while protesting the alleged diversion of irrigation water to industries.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a probe into the police action and had announced that his government would not divert irrigation water from the dam for industrial purposes.

He also offered to talk to farmers opposing use of water from Hirakud dam for industrial purposes.

'The government is ready to discuss with western Orissa farmers,' Patnaik said here Monday.

'We will not divert water meant for agriculture for industrial use,' he asserted.

'First we will use water for irrigation. If there is a surplus, then we will decide how they can be used best,' he said.

Water new hurdle for Orissa's industrialisation drive

BHUBANESWAR: The industrialisation process in Orissa which has attracted investment proposals worth over Rs 4 lakh crore, was facing a new problem, water.

After land and mines, it was water that emerged as a major hurdle before the government to implement several projects, officials in industries department said.

The recent farmers' agitation in western Orissa has come as a major headache for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who immediately announced several measures to assure farmers that no one could divert water meant for irrigation,'' a senior official of the department said.

While opposition of local people to land acquisition process had already delayed implementation of Posco project in Jagatsinghpur, the district officials in Keonjhar were also worried about arranging land for Arcelor-Mittal's 12 mtpa greenfield project.

This apart, the land acquisition for Tata Steel's six mtpa project at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur had sparked a nationwide protest following killing of some people in police firing last year.

The people of Sundergarh district led by BJP's national vice-president and MP Jual Oram were also agitating against the state government's move to sanction prospective license (PL) to Posco for mining at Khandadhar iron ore reserve.

Similarly, Vedanta Alumina Limited is also facing local people's ire over mining bauxite at Niyamgiri hills, considered as eco-fragile.

Worried over agitation against land acquisition and mining, steel giant Arcelor-Mittal has sought a tie-up with the state owned Orissa Mining Corporatoion (OMC) to ensure uninterrupted raw material linkage, a senior official said.

The farmers' agitation opposing use of Hirakud reservoir for industrial use had added to the woes of the government.

Official sources said proposals for at least 10 major industries includiung some power units could not materialise unless they drew water from Hirakud reservoir.

The industries which would be affected if water supply from Hirakud was denied, include Bhusan Steel, Vedanta Alumina Limited, Mahanadi Coalfield, Posco, a cement manufacturing unit, a paper unit and many small units.

Apart from this, Kalinga Nagar industrial complex which housed nearly 20 steel units like Tata Steel, Jindal Stainless, Nilachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, Mesco and others would also face water crisis, if they were denied water from the river Brahmani.

While Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera said the government would soon evolve a strategy to provide water to both agriculture and industries, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made it clear that agriculture would get priority over industries regarding water related issues.

The Western Orissa Krushak Surakshya Samanawya Samiti (WOKSSS), an organising fighting for farmers' rights, has said it would not allow any industry to draw water from Hirakud.

''Let the government increase water bearing capacity of the reservoir first and then talk of allowing water to industries,'' WOKSSS leader Lingaraj said.

The post of Resident Commissioner, Government of Orissa, New Delhi is declared equivalent in status and responsibility to the post of Commissioner-cum- Secretary to Government provided in the IAS cadre of the State.

According to a release Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, IAS ,Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, Steel & Mines Department is allowed to remain in additional charge of the office of the Commissioner-cum- Secretary to Government, Energy Department vice Shri L.N. Gupta,IAS transferred.

Shri Laxmi Narayan Gupta, IAS at present Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, Energy Department is appointed as Resident Commissioner, Government of Orissa, New Delhi until further orders.

The post of Resident Commissioner, Government of Orissa, New Delhi is declared equivalent in status and responsibility to the post of Commissioner-cum- Secretary to Government provided in the IAS cadre of the
State.

Shri Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, IAS who has been appointed as Resident Commissioner, Government of Orissa, New Delhi vide G.A. Department Notification is appointed as Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, I.T Department until further orders.

The additional appointment of Shri Surendra Nath Tripathi, IAS as Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, I.T Department shall stand terminated from the date Shri P.K. Mohapatra, IAS takes over.

Shri Vir Vikram Yadav, IASwho is under orders of transfer as Executive Director, Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bhubaneswar and ex-officio Additional Secretary to Government, H & UD
Department is appointed as Director, Rural Development and ex-officio Additional Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department.

The post of Director, Rural Development is declared equivalent in status and responsibility to the post of Additional Secretary to Government provided in the IAS cadre of the State.

The appointment of Shri Vir Vikram Yadav, IAS as Executive Director, Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bhubaneswar and ex-officio Additional Secretary to Government, H & UD Department is hereby
cancelled.

Sri Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, IAS as Resident Commissioner, Government of Orissa, New Delhi is hereby cancelled.