With Governor Kamla Beniwal giving her approval, the decks have been cleared for a controversial Gujarat law that makes possession of licence mandatory for sinking a tubewell, borewell or artesian well on any agricultural land and also has a provision for imprisonment.

The BJP government steamrollered the Gujarat Irrigation and Drainage Bill 2013 in the Assembly on February 27, despite stiff resistance from the Congress and Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP).

Aid Not Extended To Gosikhurd Dam Plan In Bhandara

Mumbai: In a face-saver for the Maharashtra government, the Centre on Thursday released Rs 270 crore for 10 irrigation projects in the state under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP). But significantly, the Gosikhurd project in Bhandara district near Nagpur—the largest in the state—is not one of them. On Thursday, TOI had reported that the Union finance ministry had again rejected the state government’s plea to release around Rs 450 crore for Gosikhurd following numerous complaints of shoddy work and mismanagement.

Congress terms new bill as anti-farmer, plans statewide agitation

The Gujarat Irrigation and Drainage Bill, 2013, which was passed in the state assembly on February 27, amidst opposition from the Congress, has got the assent from Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal, water resources minister Babu Bokhiria said on Thursday."I got the message yesterday that the Governor has approved the Gujarat Irrigation and Drainage Bill, 2013," Bokhiria told Business Standard. Now, the bill would become an Act and will be notified in the state gazette.

India uses the highest amount of groundwater next only to the USA.

‘Facts about the report often twisted’

USAID announced a landmark grant for a four-year $ 15 million programme by signing an agreement between Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and USAID at LGED Bhaban on Sunday.