MP govt's consent not needed for Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project: CM Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the Madhya Pradesh government's consent is not required for executing the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, citing a decision of an interstate board back in 2005.

Gehlot said he talked to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan over the phone after which his counterpart agreed to meet him to build a consensus over the issue.

The development comes days after the Centre directed to stop the project, citing the lack of consent from other states.

Rajasthan's Congress government has been long demanding that it be given the status of a national project as the canal will benefit 13 districts facing scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Gehlot tweeted that the project will receive water from tributaries of the Chambal river in Rajasthan and use less than 10 per cent of the water flowing from Madhya Pradesh.

"Therefore, as per a decision taken in 2005, the consent of Madhya Pradesh is not required for such projects," he tweeted on Tuesday citing the decision taken by a Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh interstate board.

"In the past, Rajasthan also did not object to the projects constructed by Madhya Pradesh on the Chambal and tributaries like this," Gehlot said.

"Similarly, the cooperation of Madhya Pradesh is expected on the ERCP," Gehlot added.

Earlier, the Rajasthan government had said Madhya Pradesh's objection to the project was baseless.

The Rajasthan government said it prepared a detailed project report in accordance with the decision taken by the interstate board and in compliance with the 2010 guidelines of the Central Water Commission.

The project aims at harvesting surplus water available during the rainy season in the Chambal and its tributaries Kunnu, Parvati and Kalisindh, and use it in 13 districts where there is a scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tonk, Jaipur, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa and Dholpur are the districts that will benefit from the project.

The state government has kept Rs 9,600 crore for the project in this year's budget.