RAJYA SABHA ______∗SUPPLEMENT TO SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE ______(Proceedings other than Questions and Answers) ______Monday, December 19, 2011/ Agrahayana 28, 1933 (Saka) ______The Damodar Valley Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2011-Contd SHRI NARENDRA KUMAR KASHYAP: This Bill is related to the development of Damodar Valley in and States and to establish corporation and its regulation. I would like to draw attention of the Minister towards Thermal Power project of Meja region, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. That project has not been completed till date. There are more than four thousand displaced people of Damodar Valley who are yet to get compensation and rehabilitation. More than half dozen projects like Heerakund Dam project of Sambalpur and Renuka dam project of Himachal Pradesh are still pending in our country. If you consider to finalize the pending projects, certainly the country could be benefited. If there were post of Vice Chairman along with the Chairman of the Committee, it would have certainly facilitated its management. If you include SC, ST and OBC representatives in this committee, they can take decision in the interest of their State by participating in this mega project. I hope that the Minister would pay attention towards the early completion of Thermal Power project of

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∗This Synopsis is not an authoritative record of the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha.

158 Allahabad, and on providing reservation to SC, ST and OBC in this project. SHRI JAI PRAKASH NARAYAN SINGH: Damodar Valley Corporation was sanctioned in the year 1948 when Jharkhand was the part of Bihar. Presently, Damodar Valley Corporation is in Jharkhand but its existence is in Bengal. Major portion of its water goes to Bengal while Jharkhand is getting less water. It should be desilted for getting more water. Head Quarter of Damodar Valley Corporation should be transferred to Jharkhand and farmers whose land was acquired for this project should be rehabilitated giving them proper compensation. DR. BHALCHANDRA MUNGEKAR: It should be recorded in the history that multipurpose river valley project was conceived by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He said that River Valley Project should not be considered only on a source of irrigation but a source of water, irrigation and electricity. THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER (SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL), replying to the debate said: All the valuable suggestions which are made by the learned Members shall be given due consideration. I also agree that some sort of deviation has been taking place in the objective of DVC. Rs. 25 crore is being provided for CSR activities. In the field of Corporate Social Responsibility, Damodar Valley Corporation is doing a lot. There are lapses also in the area of flood control. The water is regulated by a body which is led by CWC. The representatives of Jharkhand Government, West Bengal Government and members of DVC and CWC are meeting daily to monitor the water situation. The CWC gives directions for control of water. The DVC also does flood control work. Flood control activities are going on in that area. We have already proposed to construct high embankments around to raise the water level by five feet. There is a problem of desiltation. We are planning to have desiltation at the Dam and at canal at Durgapur. The DVC has constructed four dams on the Damodar and Barakar rivers at Konar, Panchet,

159 and Maithon. Construction of the was taken up by the Bihar Government. In respect of the Dalbani dam, we would take up construction there. I would not like to go into controversies involving employees. Out of those 11,000 employees, 7000 employees are from Jharkhand and 4000 are from West Bengal. Only a thousand employees are working in the Head Office. Rest of the 10,000 are in the field, outside the Head Office. As far as Hydel projects are concerned, there are lesser number of hydel projects. That is because there are lesser number of water heads. In the lean season, we give out water for irrigation purposes and not for power generation. That is the reason why we could not concentrate on more hydel projects under DVC. Therefore, we are tapping the resources for thermal power generation in that region. So far as the constitution of the Board is concerned, there are a lot of apprehensions regarding the representation of West Bengal and Jharkhand in the Board. They have given written consent to the Central Government and the DVC for the constitution of the DVC Board. The majority of members should be from that area itself. Most of the hon. Members have an apprehension that the purpose of the Damodar Valley Corporation is not so far materialized. Its purposes are irrigation, water conservation, water distribution, soil conservation, afforestation and also power generation, distribution and transmission. We will take care of the deviation of the purpose of this Damodar Valley Corporation. I would request the hon. Members to pass the Bill. The motion for consideration of the Bill, was adopted. Clauses etc. were adopted. The Bill was passed.

V. K. AGNIHOTRI, Secretary-General. [email protected]

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