Water on his mind | The Hindu

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Opinion Editorial
Published: April 9, 2013 01:06 IST | Updated: April 9, 2013 01:06 IST

Water on his mind

Had any ne su!!ested that ne day A"it Pa#ar # uld be $ %pared t &arie Ant inette, it # uld ha'e been lau!hable( )ut the &aharashtra deputy $hie* %inister+s re$ent state%ent ab ut his #n urine %a,in! up * r the sh rt*all * #ater in the State is distaste*ully re%inis$ent * the in*a% us -ren$h .ueen+s pr $la%ati n /let the% eat $a,e(0 1hile &r( Pa#ar+s state%ents are $ arser, they are "ust as $all us, i* n t !r tes.ue, and 'ery %u$h in ,eepin! #ith his sel*2pr $lai%ed i%a!e * a /ta!ya,0 r ru**ian( It is $ n'enient t ha'e an un$le t ap l !ise * r y u and the seni r Pa#ar has d ne that n % re than ne $$asi n( This ti%e, h #e'er, the brash nephe# has 'erstepped the line and n ap l !y *r % any .uarter $an %iti!ate this( A"it+s re%ar,s are espe$ially $ruel, $ %in! *r % a %an #h headed the irri!ati n depart%ent in the State * r a de$ade, durin! #hi$h, i* the Economic Survey is t be belie'ed, nly 0(1 per $ent * irri!ated $ 'er #as added at a $ st * 3s 40,000 $r re( As the %an at the hel% * a**airs, he had t .uit last Septe%ber, stensibly n t t in*luen$e a 1hite Paper n the $ l ssal %ess( The *ar$e didn+t end there( A*ter the ! 'ern%ent br u!ht ut its pr %ised 1hite Paper n irri!ati n, #hi$h #as li,e a re$ rd * da%s built in the State #ith little n $ rrupti n r %is%ana!e%ent, &r( Pa#ar sailed ba$, int the $abinet by 5e$e%ber 2012( At least three **i$ial in'esti!ati n rep rts n the irri!ati n s$enari in &aharashtra ha'e e6p sed the deep2seated %is%ana!e%ent and siph nin! ** * *unds #hi$h pla!ue the se$t r, and depart%ental in.uiries are under #ay( It is di**i$ult t belie'e that the bu$, st ps #ith e6e$uti'e en!ineers r the heads * the irri!ati n de'el p%ent $ rp rati ns( The State *alls sh rt * *i6in! a$$ untability n the t p% st de$isi n %a,er, in this $ase, the %inister hi%sel*, * r #h #ill bell the $at7 The $ ntra$t r2p liti$ian ne6us is thri'in! and the risin! nu%ber * $ ntra$t rs bein! ele'ated t publi$ li*e is n t a $ in$iden$e( 1hat is d ubly $all us is that it is this sa%e %an #h sh uld ha'e ensured the State+s irri!ati n se$t r is n t *l underin! the #ay it is #h has n # %ade $rude $ %%ents ab ut a *ar%er %a,in! a si%ple de%and 8 #ater * r his *ields( The ther $rude re%ar, &r( Pa#ar %ade #as n ele$tri$ity, r the la$, * it( As p #er %inister t , he $ uld n t ,eep his pr %ise * riddin! the State * l ad2sheddin! by last year( 3ibaldry $ann t erase his ab"e$t *ailure t i%pr 'e the situati n( Th u!h the 9ati nalist : n!ress Party has s u!ht t %a,e li!ht * &r( Pa#ar+s ;hu% ur,+ the party and its ally, the : n!ress, sh uld n t underesti%ate the !ra'e da%a!e he has $aused t the i%a!e * the ! 'ern%ent( <ey# rds: A"it Pa#ar, &aharashtra dr u!ht, A"it Pa#ar+s dr u!ht re%ar,
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