Chennai , Jan 27: With a view to creating a national awareness among the public and sharing information on the project for interlinking of rivers in the country, a 'permanent forum', comprising experts, industrialists and the farming community, will be set up at the Sathyabhama deemed university here today. After ascertaining the views of these people, a report would be submitted to the Union government in about ten days, according to the university's chairman, Jeppiar and advisor to the forum, T N Seshan.
The setting up of the forum initially in Chennai and subsequently in other states, was only to play a supportive role to the task force on the interlinking of rivers, already set up in December 2002 by the Central government under the chairmanship of Suresh Prabhu.
The forum would go into the political, environmental, financial and socio-economic problems that might crop up in the implementation of the Rs 5.5 lakh crore mega project, never attempted anywhere in the world, Jeppiar said.
A three-day conference would begin on January 27, coinciding with the launch of the forum, in which Suresh Prabhu and other members of the task force would participate, he said.
The forum would also go into the number of people who would get employment upon executing the project and the benefits that would accrue to the people. Bureau Report