Summary Record of Proceedings of National Water Resources ...

States. He stated that Water Users Associations could not be vested with the power to fix ratesto ensure that economically weaker sections were not left out of access to water. He alsoopposed the system of periodical inspection of water pollution by a third party which might leadto misuse of powers in the absence of clear definition of the third party. He hoped that all theriparian States should be able to work out a solution to disputes among themselves in spirit oftrue nationalism. The full text of his speech is at Annex - XVI.Shri K.L. Agrawal, State Minister for Narmada Valley Development, MadhyaPradesh stated that a policy was a vision document for a sector and not a tool to usurp theconstitutionally mandated rights of the States. He stated that water was a public good and itstreatment as an economic good in the name of efficient use was fraught with danger. Hecommented that the environment and forest clearance procedures, which were majorimpediments, had not been addressed adequately in the Policy. Further, he stated that theecological needs of a river regime forming a pre-emptive need would hinder the development ofthe sector, especially in the rainfed regions. Expressing that the National Water Policy (2012)laid emphasis on centralized monitoring, regulation and control, he suggested institutionalizationof ways to strengthen State Water Resources Departments by complementary interventions,capacity buildings, etc. The speech of Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister of MadhyaPradesh is at Annex – XVII.Shri Hemaram Choudhary, Minister for Water Resources, Rajasthan asked for grantof special status to Rajasthan considering its geo-physical conditions and water scarcitysituations. He called for declaration of all Inter-State Rivers and Canals as National Rivers andCanals to protect the interest of States in reference to inter-State water disputes. He suggestedretention of inter-sectoral priorities in water allocation as per 2002 Policy and asked for arepresentation for Rajasthan in Bhakra Beas Management Board. He also requested CentralGovernment to release the incentive grant specified by the 13th Finance Commission since theState Government had already placed a Bill in the State Assembly to set up Water RegulatoryAuthority. The full text of his speech is at Annex - XVIII.Shri Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Minister, Water Resources Department, Bihar statedthat there could only be a national framework on general policies on water but these should notbe of regulatory nature. He proposed that the National Water Policy should specifically frameinstitutional systems and apparatus with focus on State specific needs. He highlighted the water8