Anurag Thakur credits Centre for Kishau Dam breakthrough, questions Cong over six-decade delay
New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday credited the Centre’s efforts for resolving the long-pending Kishau Dam Project issue and criticised Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for “taking credit” for the development, questioning why successive Congress governments had failed to resolve the matter over the past several decades.
Thakur’s remarks came a day after the Chief Ministers of six states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday (September 15), paving the way for the long-pending 422 MW Kishau Multipurpose Project.
Speaking to reporters, Thakur said the project had remained unresolved for nearly six decades despite several Congress governments at both the Centre and state levels.
“This was a six-decade-old problem. Several Congress governments came and went, from the Centre to the states, but they could not resolve this issue. Under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Home Minister and the Union Jal Shakti Minister held meetings with the Chief Ministers of six states and resolved this issue,” he said.
Thakur said the agreement would not only help address the country’s future water requirements but also contribute towards meeting its power needs. He described the agreement among the Centre and six states as an example of cooperative federalism and inter-governmental coordination.
“They have also taken a major step to meet the huge water requirements that will arise for future generations, along with addressing the power requirements. When we talk about cooperative federalism and cooperation between governments, this is a living example of strengthening that spirit. The Central government, along with the Chief Ministers and governments of six states, has resolved this issue through the Kishau Dam Project,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the Himachal Pradesh government over the issue of credit for the project, Thakur said, “As far as the cost is concerned, the Centre is bearing 90 per cent of the expenditure. Yet some people are trying to take credit. If the Himachal Chief Minister wants to take credit, he should explain why Congress governments could not resolve this issue in the past 50-60 years,” he added.
The MoU for the Rs 15,000-crore Kishau Multipurpose Project was signed by Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu along with Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil were also present at the signing of the agreement.
The signing of the MoU marks a significant step towards taking forward the 422 MW multipurpose project, which has remained pending for several years due to differences over its financial burden and distribution of benefits among the participating states.
Following the signing of the agreement, the Kishau Multipurpose Project will now be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval. Once the necessary approval is secured, the project can move ahead towards its implementation.
The Kishau Project is intended to provide benefits related to hydropower generation and water supply, while also addressing the long-term requirements of the participating states.
–IANS
sd/dpb
