Assam cabinet nod to bill aimed at conservation of water bodies

Guwahati, Aug 13 (PTI) The Assam cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill for the protection and conservation of water bodies.

The Assam Urban Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill will have the provisions for preservation, protection, rejuvenation, conservation, regulation and maintenance of water bodies, including natural water channels, falling within the notified master plan of the state, minister Keshab Mahanta said after the meeting.

All the water bodies within the master plan area will be scheduled and notified to make it easier to demarcate and protect these from encroachers, he said.

The provisions will enable authorities to chalk out a plan of action along with formulation of appropriate schemes and projects for the conservation and protection of the water bodies, he added.

All information related to the water bodies will also be made available online, the minister said.

After the bill is passed in the assembly and it becomes a law, no authority will initiate any action for allotment of any land identified as a water body without prior approval from a state-level committee.

Violation of any of the provisions will be a punishable offence with provisions for three years imprisonment or with a fine up to Rs 1,00,000 or both, and the offender shall have to restore the water body to its original position.

The cabinet also gave its nod to the proposal for the transfer of management of 33 Pension Sewa Kendras (PSK) from the Department of Administration Reforms, Training, Pension and Public Grievances (ARTPPG) to the Department of School Education from September 1.

This step will help the government to achieve significant cost efficiency by leveraging the existing infrastructure and expertise of the permanent employees of the Education Department, the minister said.

State minister Jogen Mohan was also present at the press briefing following the cabinet meeting. PTI DG DG SOM