Centre's 'reluctance' forces state to take up Ghatal Master Plan in phases

Kolkata: With the Centre's delay in releasing funds even three years after giving administrative sanction to the Ghatal Master Plan, the Mamata Banerjee government is taking up the same project in phases to give respite to the people from the ravaging floods every year.

In the initial phase, the desiltation work of Palaspai Canal will be carried out at a cost of Rs 73 crore.

Desiltation work of Palaspai Canal is a part of the Ghatal Master Plan that the state government had submitted to the Centre in 2013.

The latter had given administrative approval to the project in 2015. But the money has not been sanctioned that is needed to initiate the project despite repeated requests of the state government.

Finding no other way out,

the state Irrigation department has taken steps to initiate the work, though in small phases so that it can give respite to the people of the area from floods.

The work of desilting Palaspai Canal is going to start from November 13 and with the completion of its desiltation work, residents of Daspur I and II, Ghatal and Panskura blocks will get respite from floods.

Soumen Mahapatra, the state Irrigation minister, said: "Our people suffer every year and they will continue to suffer due to the flood-like situation if the project is not taken up.

"The Centre is yet to allot funds for the Ghatal Master Plan. So we have decided to carry out a part of the project from the budget of the state Irrigation department itself. It will give immense respite to the people of the area from the flood-like situations that are a regular in these areas every year and there will be no more loss of property for the same."

It may be recalled that the matter related to the Centre's delay in sanctioning funds for Ghatal Master Plan had also cropped up in the Regional Conference of Eastern States on Water Resources that was held in Kolkata in April.

Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, was also present in the meeting.

It is learnt that initially, the Centre was about to give 75 percent of the project cost of the Ghatal Master Plan out of the total cost of around Rs 1214.92 crore.

Later, the Centre's share was slashed to 50 percent and the state was asked to bear the remaining 50 percent.