Cabinet revives dam project on Ravi in Punjab
NEWDELHI: The cabinet on Thursday approved the Shahpurkandi dam project on the Ravi river in Punjab, a move that will help arrest India’s share of water flowing into Pakistan, a statement said. For this, a central assistance of R485.38 crore — for irrigation component — would be provided over five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 for sharing of Indus waters. According to the treaty, India got the full rights for utilisation of waters of the three rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
“Some of the water of the Ravi river at present is going waste through the Madhopur Headworks downstream to Pakistan. Implementation of the project would minimise such wastage of water,” the statement said. The project will enable the up-stream Ranjit Sagar Dam project power station to act as a peaking station, besides having its own generation capacity of 206 MW and irrigation benefit of 37,173-hectare to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The work on the project began in 2013, but came to a halt over issues raised by J&K.
JALLIANWALA TRUST
The cabinet also approved a proposal to replace Congress member in a trust that runs the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial with leader of the single-largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha to make the body “apolitical”. The move will require amendment to the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951. An amendment bill could be brought in Parliament in the winter session beginning December 11.
Briefing reporters on the decisions, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the trust is perhaps the only government body where a member is from one political party. “The decision aims to suitably amend the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951 so as to secure representation as trustees, the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (Lok Sabha), or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition party in the House,” an official statement said. As of now, the trust which manages the memorial, has the Prime Minister as the chairperson, President of Indian National Congress, Culture Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Punjab governor, Punjab CM as its members.
INTERDISCIPLINARY MISSION
The cabinet okayed the launching of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-physical Systems. The plan will be implemented by the department of science and technology at a total outlay of R3,660 crore for a period of five years. The mission looks to establish 15 Technology Innovation Hubs, six Application Innovation Hubs and four Technology Translation Research Parks. These will connect to academics, industry, ministries and states to develop solutions at reputed academic, research and development and other organisations.
Jaitley said that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had also given its ‘In Principle’ approval for strategic sale of existing 52.63% of total paid up equity shares in Rural Electrification Corporation to Power Finance Corporation along with transfer of management control.