JAIPUR: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has hit out at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's remarks on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), saying his behaviour "cannot be called normal".
Gehlot had on Friday said though Shekhawat is an MP from Rajasthan and the Union Jal Shakti minister, he was not showing any interest in the projects pertaining to the state.
Further, the chief minister had said it was unfortunate that the central minister was not working towards getting the status of "project of national importance' for his own department's Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).
The ERCP aims to harvest surplus water available during the rainy season in southern Rajasthan rivers such as Chambal and its tributaries, including Kunnu, Parvati and Kalisindh, and route this water to 13 south-eastern districts of the state that face scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation.
Reacting to Gehlot's statement, Shekhawat said, "The behaviour of a minister of the Gehlot government and the chief minister himself, with the aim of doing politics on East Rajasthan Canal Project, cannot be called normal under any circumstances."
In a series of tweets, Shekhawat said he had called a meeting on ERCP, Yamuna water and other inter-state subjects of Rajasthan, but the chief minister and his cabinet colleague expressed their inability to participate.
He said, "In none of his statements has the prime minister talked about promising to give it the status of a national project. Work is done in a sequential manner on every project related to the development works in the country. Hope the honourable chief minister knows this very well."
Shekhawat clarified that ERCP can be given the status of 'project of national importance' only after technical appraisal, approval and inter-state consent.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has organised more than 10 meetings to reach a consensus between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, he said.
"Using the sentiments of the common people, those who raise demands only for political gains, remember that this is Modi government. We do what we say. Work will be done on ERCP and the central government is committed to fulfilling it, but the Gehlot government will have to play its role," the Union minister said.
The row over ERPC erupted on Friday during a regional conference of 11 states and union territories organised here to review the progress of Jal Jeevan Mission and Swacch Bharat Mission.
Rajasthan's Minister for Public Health Engineering Department Mahesh Joshi mentioned that Prime Minister Modi had promised to declare ERCP 'a project of national importance' twice during his tour to the state, following which Shekhawat intervened and asked him to get his facts right.
The Union minister then said he would quit politics if Modi had ever made such an announcement during election rallies.