MoU on Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project: Congress demands state govt's reply in assembly

Jaipur: Opposition Congress legislators created an uproar in the state assembly on Monday over the MoU on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project and demanded a reply from the state government in the House.

Amid uproar, the proceedings of the House were adjourned for half-an-hour during the Zero Hour.

Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully raised this issue in the House.

Jully said that the state government has signed an MoU on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) at a time when the House is in session.

The state government should give information and reply on this issue in the House, he added.

Meanwhile, some members and ministers of the ruling party objected to raising this issue, which led to an uproar.

Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani refused to allow the opposition to raise this issue stating that it was not in today's business list and hence it could not be allowed.

Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans while demanding a reply from the government.

The House later passed the Rajasthan Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2024, amid sloganeering by the opposition members.

A tripartite MoU was signed between the Centre and the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments in New Delhi on Sunday for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the ERCP.

The ERCP, an ambitious drinking and irrigation water project, was announced by the BJP when it was in power in Rajasthan in the state Budget 2017-18 for permanent solution to the problem of drinking and irrigation water in 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan namely Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tonk, Jaipur, Dausa, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur.

The former Congress government in Rajasthan had demanded the Centre to declare the ERCP a project of national importance.

The opposition legislators earlier created an uproar during the Question Hour in response to a question related to electricity supply to the farmers.

The opposition raised slogans and accused Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar of not giving a proper reply.

After the Question Hour, the House expressed grief over the demise of former Assembly Speaker Harishankar Bhabhada and paid tribute to him. The House was adjourned for half-an-hour in his honour.