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Centre Gives Nod To Rs 5,660 Cr Worth Flood Management Projects In Bengal

By akansha, Section News
Posted on Sat Jan 30, 2010 at 12:40:52 AM EST

A delegation of legislators belonging to all major parties of the state, barring the Trinamool Congress, was informed about this by Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Friday.

The Trinamool, which had skipped the meeting, came under fire "for opposing the scheme and projects that will benefit the state"

The Centre has approved two major flood management projects for West Bengal, including one in the Sundarbans, at a total estimated cost of over Rs 5,660 crore.

A delegation of legislators of all major parties from the state, barring the Trinamool Congress, learnt this when they met Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Friday.

After the meeting, state Irrigation Minister Subhas Naskar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sailen Sarkar told reporters that the Centre had given a techno-economic clearance for the reconstruction of 778-km embankments in the Sundarbans area, which were washed away or damaged in the May 2009 Aila cyclone.

The Centre sanctioned the Rs 5,032 crore financial aid for rehabilitation works in the Sunderbans, said Irrigation Minister Subhas Naskar, adding that Union Irrigation minister Pawan Bansal has also assured to sanction Rs 630 crore for dredging work of Keleghai, Kapaleswari and Baghai in West Midnapore district.

Source: The Indian Express Centre gives nod to Rs 5,660 cr worth flood management projects in Bengal

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He said the delegation was also informed that the Centre was conducting talks with Bangladesh on the problem of floods and siltation in water reservoirs along the Indo-Bangla border.

Senior Congress leader Manas Bhuniyan, who was part of the delegation, expressed hope that the other demands including anti-erosion work on the GangaPadma-Bhagirathi river would also be taken up in right earnest.

He said the state would soon submit to the Centre a Master Plan envisaging the strengthening of embankments in Kandi under the Ganga flood control programme.

Expressing its gratitude towards the Centre and Left Front government for "speedy clearance of these projects", Bhuniyan expressed hope that work would soon begin on desiltation of Mayurakshi, Kangsabati and Kumari reservoirs as well as the upstream pond of the Durgapur Barrage.

Some legislators, including Rabindranath Mandal (CPI-M) and Kamakhya Mohapatra (CPI), criticised the Trinamool Congress for "not supporting" the decision to meet the Central ministers.

"Trinamool is part of the Centre as is the Congress. By not being part of the delegation, the Trinamool is pressurising the Centre. A move which will benefit the entire people of West Bengal is being opposed by them," Mandal said.

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