Declare ERCP as national project, Rajasthan CM Gehlot at NITI Aayog meeting
Gehlot said the ERCP is an ambitious project of ₹37,000 crore which will help augment irrigation facilities in an area of around 2lakh hectares in 13 districts of Rajasthan
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday demanded that the government of India (GoI) should declare Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a national project.

In the 7th meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog held on Sunday, he also urged to increase financial assistance of the Centre in various centrally sponsored schemes. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gehlot said the ERCP is an ambitious project of ₹37,000 crore which will help augment irrigation facilities in an area of around 2lakh hectares in 13 districts of Rajasthan.
He said that eastern Rajasthan is a leading area in the production of oilseeds.
Besides this, by declaring it a national project, the problem of drinking water in these districts will also be resolved.
The chief minister said the Prime Minister had earlier promised to adopt a positive stance with regard to this project. This project will also help in the successful implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission.
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On increasing the share of Centre in centrally sponsored schemes, Gehlot said there is an additional financial burden on the states due to the changes made in financial participation pattern in various centrally sponsored schemes.
He also demanded the Centre to extend the period of GST compensation by five years to June 2027 and to release the GST compensation of approximately ₹3,780 crore in a lump sum that is outstanding from 2017-18.
CM Gehlot said Rajasthan has become a model state in the field of providing free medical facilities to the general public. The entire treatment is being provided free of cost and all the tests are also being done for free in all the government hospitals under ‘Nirogi Rajasthan Yojana’.
Gehlot added that the ‘Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana’ is the next step in this direction, in which 88% of families in the state have been provided with insurance cover.
Rajasthan tops the list in this sector in the entire country.
In Chiranjeevi Yojana, 1.34crore families are getting free treatment in government and private hospitals. Till now, more than ₹2,202crore has been spent on treating 18lakh patients. The facility for liver, heart and kidney transplants is being provided under this scheme.
The CM has also demanded the central government to increase the ambit of ‘Ayushman Bharat Swasthya Bima Yojana’ on the lines of this scheme.