As the centre broken the agreement between the states Punjab and J&K, the official resources said that work on the Shahpur Kandi dam project at Gurdaspur in Punjab will be soon resumed. The agreement is between states over a matter of under-construction hydro power project. This project will help India to increase the usage of its share of river waters below the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.
A government officials said that “This is a very significant development for both the states and also for India’s strategic interests. The project will ensure better utilisation of India’s rights over the eastern rivers of the Indus basin”.
It is noticed that the agreement came after a day when India agreed to resume discussion with Pakistan on the Indus Water Treaty at the level of Indus Commissioners of the two countries. India said it would be part of Indus Commissioner talks which will be held in Lahore later this month.
When the terrorist attack happen in Uri last year, India had decided temporarily hold on engagement with Pakistan amidst calls to abrogate the Indus Water Treaty because the Prime Minister state that blood and water” could not flow together”.
However the complete estimated cost of project estimated at 2008 prices is Rs 2,285.81 crore, had begun in 1999. Later the project classified as a National Project by the central government. However, the project was stopped when the objections raised by the J&K government on a number of issues which includes power sharing, design and monitoring.
The forthcoming Indus Commissioner level talks will be the first interaction between two countries to settle disputes over two ongoing projects in J&K.
