State team to visit Delhi to push for 'early execution of Ghatal Master Plan'

Kolkata: A team comprising senior officers of the Bengal government would visit New Delhi to pursue the Centre to fulfill the eight-point charter of demands for a comprehensive resolution to avoid flood and erosion in Bengal.

The demands were already placed before the Centre and Niti Aayog by the group of ministers, MLAs and MPs from Bengal.

The delegation from Bengal comprising Ghatal's MP Dev, state Irrigation minister Saumen Mahapatra, Water Resources Investigation and Development minister Manas Bhunia, Minister of State for MSME and Salboni MLA Srikanta Mahato, Minister of State for Panchayat and Keshpur MLA Seuli Saha, Midnapore MLA June Malia, Minister of State for Technical Education Hyumayun Kabir and Rajya Sabha MP Sukehndu Sekhar Roy visited Delhi on August 31 and submitted the memorandum with a stress to take up the work of Ghatal Master Plan.

Following the direction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the team had called on the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog Dr Rajib Kumar.

Sources said that the Niti Aayog had informed the delegation that the Ghatal Master Plan can be taken up at a ratio of 60:40 in terms of expenditure by the Centre and state respectively. The state government has now urged the Niti Aayog to provide a document in this connection.

The state government would undertake necessary assessment soon after receiving the document.

Subsequently, the team of officers would visit New Delhi with the consent if the state agrees to implement the Rs 1,238 crore worth

Ghatal Master Plan at a ratio of 60:40.

The team of officers would also submit certain documents related to the fund release proposals for different projects that need to be urgently carried out to check flood and erosion in the state.

It needs mention that the eight chartered of demands also included a Rs 471 crore worth project to flood in Malda, North and South Dinajpur, the project worth Rs 571 crore to check check erosion at vulnerable areas along river Ganga and Padma, project to check erosion along river Bhagirathi, the remaining work of projects related to devastation caused by cyclone Aila, dredging at reservoirs of Damodar Valley Corporation and the remaining work of the Keleghai-Kapaleshwari project.

The team of officers would also carry certain utilisation certificates along with them.

"A proposal to send a team of officers to New Delhi to follow up the issue has been given to Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi," said the state Irrigation minister Saumen Mahapatra.