Centre Says No Plan to Grant National Project Status to Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project

The Central Government has made it clear that no proposal is in contemplation to declare the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (Revised PKC) as a national project. Union Minister of State for Water Power, Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, provided this information in a written reply to a question posed by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajendra Gehlot.

Union Minister of State for Water Power, Rajbhushan Chaudhary, stated that the DPR for this project, specific to Rajasthan, has been prepared and submitted to the Central Water Commission for technical and economic evaluation. He stated that the inclusion and funding of any project, including river interlinking projects, depend on the existing guidelines issued by the Central Government, the policy framework, proper evaluation, approval from the competent level, and budget.

The Minister of State for JalShakti said that MoU for the Revised PKC Link Project was inked between Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and the Central Government on January 28, 2024. This was followed by the signing of the MoA on December 5, 2024. The proposal for Revised Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (MPKC) Link incorporates the tentative Kuno, Parbati, and Kalisindh sub-basins proposed by the Madhya Pradesh Government and Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project of the Rajasthan Government.

The project connects 17 districts of Rajasthan: Jaipur, Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa, Karauli, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Deeg, Alwar, Khairthal-Tijara, Kotputli-Behror, Ajmer, Beawar, and Tonk. Rajasthan will receive 4103 million cubic meters (MCM) of water from this project.