To meet the challenge of safe drinking water availability in Rajasthan, CM Vasundhara Raje asked Central government to consider special additional budgetary support challenge to state. She also asked for the national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). It all happened at 4th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting in New Delhi. Know what CM Raje demanded at the meet.
CM Raje’s demand
She said at the meeting that to make drinking and irrigation water available in 13 districts of Rajasthan, Central Water Commission has given approval. She added there is not only water of scarcity but also the quality of available water is a big challenge. She also asked financial aid from the Central government for surface drinking water projects in fluoride-affected areas. She demanded Centre to bear 50 percent cost.
As crop production in several districts of state was low so there is demand for relaxation of land-holding limit of 2 hectares for agriculture input subsidy under the SDRF norms. There was also demand of making amendments under SDRF norms. She also asked to raise the limit of land-holding to 5 hectares for agriculture input subsidy, considering these special geographical conditions.
Due to drought conditions in the state, she asked that amount of agriculture input subsidy should be given on the basis of actual number of farmers in the affected areas. Further, she talked about issues in implementation of the GST regime like easing the norms for traders in getting GST refunds and formation of a sub-group of states in the GST Council.
She praised the efforts and several reforms made in agricultural sector by Rajasthan. Due to all these efforts, NITI Aayog ranked the state as number 3 in the Agriculture Reforms category, she added.
