NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources has expressed dissatisfaction with the reduction in allocation by the Planning Commission for major, medium and minor irrigation and flood control projects in 2005-06.

In its fourth report on the Demand for Grants, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the committee observed: "It is difficult to understand the rationale behind the reduction in allocation, which is at variance with the commitment of the Government to give top priority to equitable and effective water management in the country."

On the Government's remarks that the reduced allocation was "marginal" and would not adversely affect the pace of implementation of the on-going projects, the panel said: "All these bear ample testimony to the Government's commitment to give top priority to equitable and effective water management in the country which has, in reality, failed to gain currency.''

The panel, chaired by R. Sambasiva Rao, said the Government's reply was an obvious attempt to understate the existing multiplicities in the implementation process i.e. schemes to be planned and executed by the State governments and monitored by the Centre for the three major Centrally-sponsored schemes, including flood control in the Brahmaputra valley, repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies and artificial recharge of ground water.

It said the cuts in allocation would affect the pace of implementation by the State governments, given the "notoriety" of a few States as worst offenders in regard to timely completion of projects.

Administrative Ministry

The panel also criticised the Government for not forming a national water resources programme coordination committee as a precursor to setting up a "Single Administrative Committee on Water." The National Development Council, at its 50th meeting held in December 2002 [during the National Democratic Alliance rule], had considered the need for a single administrative ministry for dealing with all issues relating to water — its use, development, conservation, augmentation, productivity and protection of water resources.

The committee felt the idea of a single administrative ministry was "highly desirable" and a "long overdue step." It said that even after the Tenth Plan had run half its course, the Government was yet to constitute the project coordination panel under the chairmanship of Member (Agriculture and Water Resources) in the Planning Commission to ensure everyone's interests and concerns were taken into account.

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