The Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

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The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday.

While speaking to the media on Monday, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced, "An MoU was inked between Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav with regard to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project on Sunday."

"I mentioned earlier that we would address the ERCP at the first cabinet meeting. Both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers presided over the meeting with the officers. We removed as many bottlenecks as possible and signed the MoU for the ERCP project," he said.

"This long-awaited MoU will pave the way for the availability of drinking water and irrigation in 13 districts of Rajasthan and will also play a huge role in changing the economic conditions of the region," he added.

Taking a dig at the erstwhile Congress government led by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Shekhawat said, "Ashok Gehlot did politics over the thirsty throats 'pyaase kantho', on the parched land and the expectations of the farmers. He used the issue as a dice to fulfil his political ambitions. This is a sin and the consequences of this sin are heavy," he said.

The Jal Shakti Minister further said that the signing of the MoU is a golden moment for both states.

Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reached Jaipur on Sunday to meet his Rajasthan counterpart Bhajanlal Sharma to discuss the long-pending Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.

The chief ministers of both states held a joint press conference to inform the public that both governments were committed to solving the drinking and irrigation water issues of the people.

The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), an ambitious drinking and irrigation water project, was announced by the BJP government in the state budget 2017-18 as a permanent solution to the problem of drinking and irrigation water in 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan.

The districts included Jhalawar, Baran, Kota Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tok, Jaipur, Dausa, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur.

Led by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, an intense consensus-building exercise was done by the Jal Shakti ministry during the past few years to build a consensus amongst both the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to implement this project.

Shriram Vedire, Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers and other officials of MoJS and states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were present on the occasion.