GUWAHATI, May 17? Union Minister of State for Water Resources Bijoya Chakravarty today asserted that no water from the mighty Brahmaputra would be taken out if it harmed the interests of the State and the people. Speaking at a ?Meet-the-Press? programme at Guwahati Press Club today, Chakravarty sought to allay the apprehensions arising out of the Centre?s mega project of interlinking rivers of the country, and said the final decision on linking the Brahmaputra was still a far way off and that was to be taken after a careful scrutiny of all the relevant points of the issue.
?If at all any water is taken out of the Brahmaputra, it has to be the excess floodwater, if any, and on that there can be no compromise,? the minister said. That, she said, was precisely the reason that the Brahmaputra has not been considered yet for the project and only three rivers? Manas, Sankosh and Teesta? have been proposed for the project.
Stating that the Centre has always been sympathetic to the State, Chakravorty accused the State Government of not coming forward with detailed proposals for various projects, which often came in the way of sanctioning of funds. She said recently she had asked the Irrigation Minister to submit schemes against funds worth Rs 2,800 crore, ?but he could give us a proposal of just Rs 7 crore after much delay.? This lack of response is likely to result in implementation of projects by Central agencies, she added.
On another occasion, a move by the Centre to upgrade the GMCH to an all-India level medical institution failed to materialise for lack of political will of the State Government, Chakravarty alleged. When asked what she was doing to get the perennial flood problem of the State declared a ?national problem?, she refrained from giving a direct reply and sought to link it with the Brahmaputra being declared a ?national river?.
Smt Chakraborty said five dams would be constructed on river Dihang, Dibang and Subansiri in Assam to generate an estimated 2800 mw of electricity to improve the power position. She also acknowledged that the Government had failed to utilise the Brahmaputra National Water Policy to generate power and check the recurring flood problem in the State.