Guwahati: The Centre was considering the restructuring of the Brahmaputra Board as Basin Level Organisation/Authority.
Union Minister for Water Resources Harish Rawat, in a letter to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi which was made available here today, said the draft document outlining the restructuring of the Brahmaputra Board as Basin Level Organisation/Authority has been sent to North Eastern States, including Brahmaputra Board, for their views and a final decision on the matter would be taken after completion of the consultative process.
Rawat pointed out that his ministry has been examining the different issues raised by the Chief Minister in his memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the latter?s visit to Assam on April 20.
On the strengthening of the North Eastern Hydraulic and Allied Research Institute (NEHARI), Rawat said the ministry is concerned with the issue and has directed the concerned authorities to expedite the matter.
As regards Chief Minister Gogoi’s plea to enhance the funding pattern for Command Area Development (CAD) works from 50:50 to 90:10 in respect of the Special Category States, Rawat pointed out that the proposal to enhance the funding pattern during the 12th Plan was under active consideration of the ministry.
Rawat further said there was no need for a separate Research cum Training Institute in Guwahati as demanded by Chief Minister Gogoi as the ministry had already taken a slew of initiatives to make the North Eastern Regional Institute of Land and Water Management (NERIWALM) at Tezpur a Centre of Excellence in the field of research, training and capacity building.
PTI
