Ashok Gehlot using Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project as political tool, says Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
India Today
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat hit out at Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and accused of playing politics over the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has accused Rajasthan Chief Minster Ashok Gehlot of using the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ECRP) as a political tool and not for helping the citizens of the state.
This comes after Ashok Gehlot urged the Centre to give national status to ECRP, saying that this would enable its fast completion and hence 13 districts of east Rajasthan would get drinking and irrigation water. He also targeted Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on this issue, saying that he is not doing anything for the state despite being the Union Minister of Jal Shakti from Rajasthan.
Speaking to India Today, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, "Ashok Gehlot is asking ERCP to be made a national project. In a national project, state has to spend 40 per cent and 60 per cent comes from the Centre. This is a Rs 50,000 crore project in which Rs 20, 000 crore Rajasthan will have to spend. We were trying to accommodate this in through interlinkage of the river scheme in which the Centre gives 90 per cent funding. But for this we need to sign an agreement with the Madhya Pradesh government.”
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He added, “The Madhya Pradesh government has said that ERCP project is proposed on 50 per cent dependability, whereas the benchmark is 75 per cent. I tried to keep meetings on ERCP in Jaipur, but Gehlot didn't attend, and he is only playing politics over this project. “
“Till Rajasthan enters an agreement with Madhya Pradesh, this project can't go ahead. Ashok Gehlot is using this issue as a political tool," Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told India Today.
Gajendra Shekhawat flagged the decrease in per capita availability of water in India.
