Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his position clear about the Ken-Betwa project. Modi has issued instructions that there should be a time limit to complete a project once its foundation is laid, and there should not be any hurdles in completing the work.
This was the reason why Modi did not lay the foundation of the Ken-Betwa link project, for the tender for Daudhan dam was not finalised. Its foundation will be laid only when the Lok Sabha election is over.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority floated its tender, and its technical bid was opened on March 11. Only after the financial bid, the name of the company getting the contract for the work will be clear, which may take some time.
Against this backdrop, the Prime Minister’s Office has refused to organise an event to lay the foundation of the project before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
The state government also announced that the Prime Minister would lay the foundation of the project in February. There are clear instructions from the Prime Minister that unless the name of the agency working for a project is not finalised and unless the work starts, he will not lay the foundation of any project.
There are six bidders for constructing the two-km-long dam worth over Rs 10,000 crore. The technical ability of the bidders is being examined. Afterwards, when the formalities are completed, the process for tender for the project will move ahead.
Efforts were made to lay the foundation of the Ken-Betwa link project before the assembly election and the Lok Sabha election, but as tenders for the project was not finalised, the Prime Minister refused to lay the foundation.
The state government will do its part of the tender once the MCC for the Lok Sabha election is lifted.
Project began in 2005
The Ken-Betwa link project began in 2005. The concept of the project was conceived after then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee put forth a plan for joining the rivers across the country.
The project was also discussed when the UPA government came to power in 2004, but because there was no agreement between the governments of UP and MP, the project was swept under the carpet.
But both the states agreed to work on the project after the intervention of the Central government in 2021. Afterwards, the Centre and the state governments provided a budget for the project. Now, the tender for the project is on the verge of being finalised.
