Cong did nothing to resolve water disputes between states: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress never wanted to solve water disputes in any state to address challenges faced by the people, particularly farmers, and cited the delay in the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a proof of the intention of the grand old party.

- Senjuti Sengupta

JAIPUR:

The PM was addressing the "Ek Varsh-Parinaam Utkarsh" event in Jaipur to mark completion of one year of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan. On the occasion, he laid the foundation stone of the first phase of interlinked Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC)-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

"The ERCP was delayed for so long by the Congress; this is also a direct proof of the Congress' intentions. They talk big in the name of farmers but neither do they do anything for the farmers themselves nor do they let others do it," Modi said.

"(Former PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first one to come up with a vision of river-linking across the country to channelise excess water in every river to solve both the flood and draught issues. He had also formed a committee to identify rivers in various states that carry excess water and planned to interlink them with the collaboration of different states. But the Congress never wanted to solve disputes over water sharing in any state. Like they delayed the ERCP in Rajasthan, they also created chaos over the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) on the Narmada river in Gujarat during my tenure as the CM there," he added.

During the event, Modi also inaugurated at least 15 developmental projects worth ₹35,324 crore in the desert state, including the first phase of the PKC-ERCP which is likely to provide drinking and irrigation water to at least 21 districts in Rajasthan and 11 districts in Madhya Pradesh.