Sachin Pilot Writes To PM, Seeks National Status For Canal Project

Congress leader Sachin Pilot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to grant national status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.

The letter from Mr Pilot, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's former deputy, comes ahead of PM Modi's proposed visit to Dausa on Sunday.

In his letter on Thursday, Mr Pilot said the then-state government announced the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project in the 2017-18 budget as a permanent solution to the problem of drinking and irrigation water in 13 eastern Rajasthan districts.

"After that, in a meeting organised in Rajasthan in the year 2018, you also assured to declare this project as a national project but till now the said project has not been declared as a national project," he said.

"I have come to know that your programme is proposed on 12th February, 2023, in Dausa district of Rajasthan.

"In such a situation, the residents of the state, including me, expect you to declare the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project as a national project so that there can be a permanent solution to the drinking and irrigation water problems of half the state's population living in these 13 districts," Mr Pilot added.

Last week, Mr Gehlot said the Prime Minister had supported according national status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. He had added that 16 such projects in India have been granted national status.

Gehlot had also exhorted the people's representatives of both the ruling and the opposition parties to come together and demand the Prime Minister declare it a national project during his visit to Dausa.

The Prime Minister is proposed to inaugurate the Sohna-Dausa part of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Dausa on Sunday.

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