Jaipur: On the occasion of the first anniversary of the BJP government in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the crucial and much awaited river linking Parvati-Kalsindh-Chambal-ERCP project in Jaipur on Tuesday. The CMs of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh exchanged Memorandum of Agreement of the project in the presence of PM Modi.
In his address accusing Congress for delaying and creating water disputes between the states the Prime Minister highlighted that former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee envisioned linking rivers to address this issue and formed a special committee for it. He added that the goal was to transfer excess water from rivers to drought-affected areas, solving both flood and drought problems. The Supreme Court also supported this vision, but the previous governments never aimed to alleviate water issues and instead promoted water disputes between states.
“The picture of the CMs of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan signing the agreement for this project is extraordinary. In the coming years, people across the country will show this picture to the politicians and ask them why they keep doing politics on water. The water flowed into the sea, but why couldn't they sign a paper,” said the PM.
Accusing Congress of delaying the ERCP PM said that instead of finding a solution, Congress delayed the project and Rajasthan had to suffer due to this policy. PM said that his Government believed in cooperation and solutions as against opposition and obstacles.
“Our government has approved and expanded the ERCP. As soon as our governments formed in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, an agreement was reached on the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link project, which would interlink the Chambal River and its tributaries. I envision a day when Rajasthan will no longer face water scarcity and will have sufficient water for development, said Modi highlighting the benefits of the project that will provide irrigation and drinking water to 21 districts in Rajasthan.
Laying the foundation and dedicating the development projects worth over Rs 46000 crore in Rajasthan, PM Modi thanked the people for their support and said that the Governments at the Center and State are becoming a symbol of Good Governance.
“People believed that his party symbolized the guarantee of Good Governance and this was the reason for getting the support of the public in so many states. There is no such precedence of forming a Union Government by the same party for three times in a row in the past 60 years and twice continuously in Maharashtra and Haryana. This shows the trust of the people in us.”
Emphasizing the importance of water conservation and stating that it is the responsibility of both the government and society to use every drop of water effectively, the Prime Minister urged the people to engage in micro-irrigation, drip irrigation, and the maintenance of Amrit Sarovars, and to raise awareness about water management. He also encouraged them to promote natural farming among farmers.
On this occasion, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that this was a 20-year-old water dispute. This gift of water in both the states have been fulfilled only because of PM Modi. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that this project will benefit 21 districts of Rajasthan and irrigate 2.5 lakh hectares of land here.
The Governor of Rajasthan, Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C.R Patil were also present on the occasion.
Prime Minister inaugurated 9 projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore comprising 7 central government projects and 2 state government projects and laid the foundation stone for 15 projects worth over Rs 35,300 crore comprising 9 central government projects and 6 state government projects.
