Raj: Proposal to be sent to Centre for national project status to ERCP cleared

The proposal was approved in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and it was held at the chief minister's residence hours after the Congress cracked down on Sachin Pilot, stripping the dissident leader of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party’s state unit president, and sacking two loyalists from the state Cabinet. In the meeting a decision was also taken to set up 'one stop shop' for speedy approval and clearance for investment proposals of above Rs 10 crore, a release said.

The Rajasthan Council of Ministers on Tuesday night approved a proposal to be sent to the Centre for granting national project status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). The project is aimed at providing drinking water to 13 districts in east Rajasthan. The proposal was approved in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and it was held at the chief minister's residence hours after the Congress cracked down on Sachin Pilot, stripping the dissident leader of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president, and sacking two loyalists from the state Cabinet.

In the meeting a decision was also taken to set up 'one stop shop' for speedy approval and clearance for investment proposals of above Rs 10 crore, a release said. Under the ERCP project, surplus water of the Chambal river basin is proposed to be dumped into river basins of the Banas, Morel, Banganga, Parvati, Kalisil, Gambhir rivers. A detailed project report has been prepared for this and it is under examination with the Central Water Commission since 2017. The cost of the project is about 37,000 crores. "It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced to give the status of national project to ECRP during his visit to the state in July and October 2018," the release said. Special package to a company for setting up different units and amendments in various service rules were also approved in the meeting. Congress sources said that discussion on the political situation was also discussed in the meeting of the council of ministers.