Groundwater Bill Sent to Select Panel After Uproar

The Rajasthan government sent the Rajasthan Groundwater (conservation and regulation) Authority Bill 2025 to the state assembly's select committee for further review on Wednesday.

- HT Correspondent

JAIPUR:

The bill, which was aimed at regulating groundwater usage in the state, drew sharp reactions from the Opposition Congress party.

After the debate on the bill in the Assembly on Wednesday, PHED minister Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary proposed sending the bill to the select committee, which was approved.

This bill had been sent to the select committee last August. In February, the time for submitting the select committee's report was extended. After receiving the committee's report, the decision was made to bring the bill back.

During the debate on the Bill, opposition lawmakers raised questions on several provisions of the bill. They specifically criticized the provisions requiring the registration of all tube wells and machines for drilling tube wells, stating that the government lacks the resources to implement such measures. They also pointed out that even meters have not been installed on water connections by the Water Resources Department so far.