Times of India: Ahmedabad: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Rajasthan govt has declined
to divulge details of the agreement it has signed with the Union govt and the
govt of Madhya Pradesh for the state's flagship inter-state water project, the
PKC-ERCP. Turning down an RTI query by this correspondent, the govt has cited
Section-8 1(a) of the RTI Act, 2005 "risks to national security,
sovereignty, integrity, and strategic and economic interests of the state,
i.e., India" as reasons for declining the request.
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh govts signed an MoU with Union Jal Shakti ministry on the Integrated ERCP-PKC link canal project in New Delhi in Jan 2024 and PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project on Dec 17.
The Parbati Kalisindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (PKC-ERCP) is a critical project meant to provide water for drinking and irrigation to a total of 26 districts, including 13 from Rajasthan.
Aside from the details of the agreement, TOI had also sought details of the total cost incurred on the project and the Centre's share in implementing the project.
In its response to the RTI query, the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Limited invoked Section-8 1(a) of the RTI Act, 2005 to reject the query. According to Section-8 1(a), govt can withhold information if its disclosure would "prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the state, relation with a foreign state, or lead to incitement of an offence."
Implementation of the PKC-ERCP has been a longstanding election promise of the BJP. In a run up to the Rajasthan assembly polls in Dec 2023 as well as the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, BJP had repeatedly promised to roll out the flagship project to address Eastern Rajasthan's water scarcity. However, though the tripartite MoU was signed in Jan 2024, the govt has still not put out any details of the project, including costs and timelines for completion.
The lack of clarity has also led to bitter politicking over the project. Former CM Ashok Gehlot has repeatedly criticised the BJP govt for the secrecy over the project and demanded that the agreement be made public.
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said, "We raised this issue in the Raj assembly. However, govt refused to share details on ERCP. The rights of Rajasthan have been mortgaged to MP. They have bowed to pressure from the Union govt. They don't want to make details public because the people of Rajasthan will suffer. Farmers will not get irrigation water from this project. That is why they are not showing the agreement."
National president of Kisan Mahapanchayat, Rampal Jat, said, "Agreements should be made public because they affect the people directly."
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh govts signed an MoU with Union Jal Shakti ministry on the Integrated ERCP-PKC link canal project in New Delhi in Jan 2024 and PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project on Dec 17.
The Parbati Kalisindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (PKC-ERCP) is a critical project meant to provide water for drinking and irrigation to a total of 26 districts, including 13 from Rajasthan.
Aside from the details of the agreement, TOI had also sought details of the total cost incurred on the project and the Centre's share in implementing the project.
In its response to the RTI query, the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Limited invoked Section-8 1(a) of the RTI Act, 2005 to reject the query. According to Section-8 1(a), govt can withhold information if its disclosure would "prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the state, relation with a foreign state, or lead to incitement of an offence."
Implementation of the PKC-ERCP has been a longstanding election promise of the BJP. In a run up to the Rajasthan assembly polls in Dec 2023 as well as the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, BJP had repeatedly promised to roll out the flagship project to address Eastern Rajasthan's water scarcity. However, though the tripartite MoU was signed in Jan 2024, the govt has still not put out any details of the project, including costs and timelines for completion.
The lack of clarity has also led to bitter politicking over the project. Former CM Ashok Gehlot has repeatedly criticised the BJP govt for the secrecy over the project and demanded that the agreement be made public.
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said, "We raised this issue in the Raj assembly. However, govt refused to share details on ERCP. The rights of Rajasthan have been mortgaged to MP. They have bowed to pressure from the Union govt. They don't want to make details public because the people of Rajasthan will suffer. Farmers will not get irrigation water from this project. That is why they are not showing the agreement."
National president of Kisan Mahapanchayat, Rampal Jat, said, "Agreements should be made public because they affect the people directly."
.JPG)
.JPG)
