BJD Opposes Dam Safety Bill In Lok Sabha

Reporters Today: Bhubaneswar, Dec 13

The BJD has opposed the Dam Safety Bill introduced by the Union Minister of State for Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lok Sabha.

Asserting that the subject fell under the purview of the state governments, Leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party Bhartruhari Mahtab said on Wednesday that the Centre has no legislative competence on the bill.

The Centre, he said, had introduced another Bill in 2010 whose basic purpose was to provide proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all dams of certain parameters in India to ensure their safe functioning, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The purpose of the Bill introduced in the lower house has nowhere been mentioned, Mahatab added.

He, however, said that Parliament will have the scope to implement a regulation if the purpose of the bill as mentioned in the earlier bill in 2010 is incorporated in this bill.

Replying to the contention of the BJD leader, the Union minister, while giving instance to West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh in the present case, said that the Centre has the legislative competence if is requested by the two states to enact a law on the issue. He cited Article 252 of the Constitution to justify his statement.

The Minister said there are over 5,200 large dams in the country while construction of 450 dams is underway and the safety of these dams remains a matter of concern due to lack of legal and institutional safeguards.