The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Centre gives nod for second stage of JBIC project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 26, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Centre gives nod for second stage of JBIC project

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: Water Resources Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Tuesday asserted that the Government did not propose to transfer to consumers the debt burden arising out of the implementation of the Rs.1,787-crore Japanese-aided drinking water schemes being implemented in four places in the State. He also said that the Union Government had given the green signal for the second stage of the JBIC project.

Replying to questions on the price of water after the project is commissioned, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the Government of the day would have to take a final decision on the price of water. As far as the project proposal was concerned, the price was not a point of reference but much would depend on whether Kerala would be able to execute the project on time.

The recent High Court verdict dismissing a petition against a contract awarded under the project has come as a morale booster, the Minister said and appealed to the contending parties not to take positions that would further delay the project beyond the deadline in 2007.

Tracing the brief history of the JBIC project, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the State would have to bear the financial burden if it failed to commission the project by 2007. He said the decision on the contracts were taken by the empowered committee headed by the Chief Secretary, with the Law Secretary, Principal Secretary (Finance), Principal Secretary (Water Resources) and two other experts as members. The decision was taken in a transparent manner, with the necessary precaution. He said the contending parties could go in appeal to the Supreme Court if they wanted, but urged them from taking recourse to such an action. "This would be against the interests of the State," he said.

He said the JBIC project spread over five schemes had 23 packages. It covered two corporations, 3 municipalities and 42 villages. The second phase would be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.1,300 crores, of which the State would have to earmark Rs.300 crores.

He said the empowered committee had been reconstituted with the Chief Secretary as chairman in order to ensure transparency in the process. He said that it would be wrong to assume that the Water Resources Department could dominate the committee that had senior bureaucrats and the Law Secretary who was a judge.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section