JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her Madhya Pradesh counterpart Babulal Gaur on Thursday agreed in principle on the proposed Parvati-Kali Sindh-Chambal inter-State river link. They also reached a mutual agreement on the proposal to extend the link up to the Banas river in Rajasthan.

The decisions, which will have a far-reaching impact on the lives of people of both the States in the days to come, were taken at the 13th meeting of the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan Control Board here in the Rajasthan capital. The meeting, also attended by Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji and Water Resources Minister Anup Misra, was the first of the Board after a gap of six years.

Only on Thursday Mr. Gaur signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on the Ken-Betwa river link between M.P. and U.P., setting the river link project rolling for the whole nation.

The meeting between Ms.Raje and Mr.Gaur, held at the Secretariat in the presence of senior bureaucrats from both States, decided that the issues relating to the Gandhi Sagar Project and the Banas basin would be discussed between both the parties in detail later. It is known that differences exist between the States on the construction of seven dams proposed by Madhya Pradesh upstream of Gandhi Sagar.

Ms. Raje suggested drawing up of a Master Plan by both the States in a year's time on the "proper utilization'' of the available 12 million acre feet water in the Chambal basin. The future use of the Chambal water could be on the basis of the proposed Master Plan, the expenses of which would be shared equally by both the States, she said.

"There is vast scope for cooperation between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the water sector,'' Ms.Raje said. Lakhs of farmers on both the sides would benefit if all the water available in the Chambal basin was put to use, she said.

Ms.Raje pointed out that at present only 3.6 MAF of the available 12 MAF water in the Chambal basin was put to use between Gandhi Sagar and Kota Barrage stretch.

The meeting, also attended by Rajasthan Irrigation Minister Sanwarlal Jat, State Minister for Finance Virendra Meena and State Minister for Energy Rajendra Singh Kheemvsar, noted that the canal system in the Chambal project was 40 years old and needed repair. The States decided to make a report on the repair and maintenance of the canal network and present it in six months to the Central Government and other possible sources of financial assistance.

Ms.Raje stressed on jointly taking up the pending projects on the Chambal. The Board has already cleared nine inter-State projects on the Chambal basin. Joint efforts would be made for environmental clearances from the Centre for the Rahu Ghat project, situated down stream Kota barrage in Rajasthan and Gujjipura, Jetpura and Bassala hydro electric projects in Madhya Pradesh, she said.

Madhya Pradesh has cleared projects on the Chambal river, situated below the Kota Barrage on the Kali Sindh, Parvan, Manohar Thana, Andheri, Hathiadeh, Lahsi, Piplad, Rajgarh and Hindlot.

The Thakli and Gajarin projects are already approved. The financial advisors and officials of both the States will meet on September 30 to settle the pending accounts between them.

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