You are a project manager of an ongoing irrigation canal project located in a drought-prone state. The project was of economic importance as its completion would cover a sizable part of the State under irrigation, thereby giving a boost to agriculture and employment. Further, the whole project was politically motivated as well because it was one of the campaign promises of the incumbent CM. On the whole, a lot was riding on the project. 

You had finished the initial survey and had started the land acquisition process, and it is here you ran into your first big challenge. In one of the villages, the canal path was through an ancient temple, and the alternative route was passing through the  fields of local MLA. You discussed the issue with the Village Panchayat and offered to  relocate the temple to a site within the village. But the Panchayat refused as they  felt the shifting of the deity’s home would only bring misery to the village. On the other side, the MLA had refused to entertain any request for taking the canal through his lands. You were caught between the Panchayat and the MLA. The only way out was to persuade anyone of the parties to agree. 

Who do you think would be easy to persuade? Why? (250 words)

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