India, July 8 -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday signed a historic agreement to resolve a decades-old dispute over delayed payments under the Narmada Project, in the presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil. The agreement was signed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, along with senior officials from the Centre and the four states. The settlement ends the long-pending dispute over cost-sharing for the Sardar Sarovar Project, with the four states agreeing to a one-time settlement of the outstanding dues. Speaking on the occasion, Shah said the agreement marked the resolution of a long-standing issue among the beneficiary states of the Sardar Sarovar Project and reflected the spirit of cooperative federalism. He said disputes between states were being resolved more quickly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah said the Sardar Sarovar Project had significantly benefited Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan by providing irrigation, drinking water and electricity. Referring to Rajasthan's relatively smaller share in the project, he said the state had gained not only through irrigation but also from the electricity generated by the dam. Also Read - Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on Ambassador Hotel's plea against show-cause notice for eviction The Home minister commended the four states for resolving the issue through consensus and lauded the Ministry of Jal Shakti for facilitating the agreement. He added that inter-state water disputes were now being settled more expeditiously, citing the recent resolution of the water-sharing issue between Haryana and Rajasthan as an example. Emphasising the importance of cooperation in water management, Shah said water resources ultimately benefit farmers irrespective of state boundaries. He added that reservoirs and other water infrastructure created through such projects are valuable national assets and stressed that water-sharing disputes should be resolved promptly to prevent the wastage of precious natural resources. Recently, significant progress has also been made in resolving long-standing water-sharing issues between states, such as those concerning the Kishau Dam project in Himachal Pradesh and the water dispute between Rajasthan and Haryana. On June 29, Rajasthan and Haryana signed an agreement for the construction and implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, resolving a nearly three-decade-old issue.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.