State Technical Advisory Committee under Irrigation and Waterways Department

Government of West Bengal
Irrigation & Waterways Department
Jalasampad Bhawan (3rd floor), Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700091
Ph & Fax- 033-23215211, Email- ds-works@wbiwd.gov.in

Memo No. 431-IB Dated: 14.01.2020

MEMORANDUM

At present two separate mechanisms are followed for checking the technicalities and economic viabilities of different schemes of Irrigation & Waterways Department.

a) Purely State funded projects having value more than Rs. 4 Crore are examined by the Chief Engineers’ Committee comprising of Chief Engineers of Irrigation & Waterways Directorate.

b) Fully or partially central funded projects (both irrigation and flood control) & Projects having inter-state or international ramification are examined initially by the Chief Engineers’ Committee and then by the State Technical Committee to the West Bengal Flood control Board which has the representatives from other State Government Departments and Central Government organizations. The values of centrally funded projects generally range above Rs. 4.0 Crore.

2. Irrigation & Waterways Department reconstituted the State Technical Committee of West Bengal Flood Control Board vide Notification No. 6-I Dated 19.03.1973. The existing State Technical Committee of West Bengal Flood Control Board comprises of officials from State Government Departments e.g. Irrigation & Waterways Department, Forest Department, Agriculture Department, P.W Department and Central Government Agencies e.g. Railways, Central Water Commission, Ganga Flood Control Commission, Kolkata Port Trust and Geological Survey of India.

3. During the period from 1973 to 2019, the nomenclature and jurisdictions of the Chief Engineers of Irrigation & Waterways Department have been changed significantly. The Central Water Commission, Gol has suggested to include the Director (Monitoring), CWC, stationed at Kolkata as a representative member from Central Water Commission in the State Technical Committee vide their Memo No. 3/43/2011 dated 01.02.2013.

4. The Central Water Commission in their published “Guideline for preparation, appraisal and clearance of Irrigation & Multipurpose Projects and Flood Management Schemes- 2010” has categorically mentioned the clearance of State Technical Advisory Committee to be a prerequisite before finalizing the D.P.Rs of Projects and submitting to Central Water Commission for appraisal, if any project is proposed for inclusion under the funding by Central Government.

5. So, it transpires that clearance of State Technical Committee having representation from different State Govt. Departments, and Central Government Agencies, is mandatory for making any Irrigation or Flood Management Scheme eligible for investment clearance and to avail Central Assistance. Even for approval of any purely State Funded scheme having inter-state or international ramification the clearance of State Technical Committee is mandatory as per erstwhile Planning Commission’s Circular No. 16(12)/1/2003-WR dated- 29.06.2012. The earlier Technical Committee to the State Flood Control Board is therefore needed to be reconstituted with new nomenclature as Sate Technical Advisory Committee for clearing any scheme as stated above.

6. In view of above, the undersigned is directed to inform that the existing Technical Committee to the State Flood Control Board is reconstituted with the new Nomenclature, Composition and Terms of reference as stated here under:-

7. Nomenclature:- State Technical Advisory Committee.

8. Composition:-

9. Terms of Reference:-

a) The technical and economic viabilities of the schemes (both irrigation and flood control) proposed for appraisal by the Central Water Commission/ GFCC/ Brahmaputra Board to avail Central Assistant will be examined by the State Technical Advisory Committee and recommendations/observations will be offered as may be applicable. However, if any separate mechanism exists in the State Government for approval of schemes for implementation with Central Assistant (like RKVY etc.), such schemes need not to be referred to the State Technical Advisory Committee.

b) Schemes having inter-state or international ramification will be dealt with in terms of the erstwhile Planning Commission’s circulated Guideline circulated vide No 16(12)/1/2003-WR dated 29.06.12, revised from time to time.

c) Different aspects of the schemes stated at Sl-i & ii above, like those related to environmental safeguards, forest matters, ground water aspects, railway related matters, geological aspects, agriculture issues and National Highway/ State Highway/ MDR issues and major geological and conjunctive planning issues will be examined by the committee in line with the “Guideline for preparation appraisal and clearance of Irrigation & Multipurpose Project and Flood Management Schemes- 2010” issued by the Central Water Commission or its amendments issued time to time.

d) The quorum of the Committee is deemed to be constituted if at least two Chief Engineers apart from the Chairman and Member Secretary, regional director of CWC and Director/ GFCC (in case of scheme in Ganga basin) remain present. The presence of the representative of Department/ Organization (Central/ State) whose domain knowledge/ expertise is absolutely required to come to a decision on a scheme is also mandatory. For example if any flood control scheme is likely to affect any railway structure, the presence of the representative of the respective Railway is also mandatory.

This Memorandum is issued in supersession of earlier order of State Technical Committee of West Bengal Flood Control Board vide Notification No. 6-I Dated 19.03.1973 and takes immediate effect.

Biplab Mukhopadhyay
Deputy Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal

No. 431-IB dated 14.01.2020, Source