State ‘blocks’ RTI info about Saraswati revival project

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 25

The Haryana Government may have pledged Rs 50 crore for the revival of mythological Saraswati river, yet it is keeping details of the river project a closely guarded secret.

Nearly three months after Panipat-based RTI activist PP Kapoor sought information about the Saraswati revival project from the Yamunanagar district administration, he is yet to get the information. Fed up with the delaying tactics of the authorities concerned, Kapoor today moved the State Information Commission, Haryana, as the last resort.

He filed the RTI application with the Yamunanagar DC and the Chief Secretary on June 3, seeking details of the project. “The information was not provided within the mandatory 30 days. The first appeal with the appellate authority also went unheard, forcing me to move the State Information Commission today after 84 days of filing the RTI application,” Kapoor claimed.

Against the backdrop of the “discovery” of water at just seven feet in Rohlaheri village in Yamunanagar district, the government has pledged Rs10 crore from the corpus to establish the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board. Earlier, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had, in April, announced the Rs 50-crore project to revive the mythological river.

The river finds mention in ancient Hindu scriptures sichas the Rig Veda, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana besides others, giving credence to the belief the river existed during ancient times and it was held in great reverence.

In May, the government said the revival project had multi-dimensional aspects such as water conservation, water harvesting, groundwater recharge, flood protection, improvement in ecological balance, flourishing of flora and fauna, and development of eco-tourism, recreation tourism and pilgrim tourism.

Kapoor wanted details about these claims and other related issues of the river revival project.