River Betwa is the major tributary of the Yamuna. It flows through the States of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In August, 1972, the Chief Ministers of the two States agreed to the sharing of the waters of the Betwa river at Rajghat. Thereafter the State Governments considered the various technical and engineering problems concerning the dam to be built at Rajghat and the machinery for executing the Project. By the Supplementary Agreement of the 7th December, 1973 the State Governments agreed to the setting up of a Control Board under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister for Irrigation and Power. The question as to how the Board should be set up and the various technical and engineering aspects of the project were thereafter examined and considered and a final agreement in regard to the various matters was reached on the 18th August, 1975.2. Both the State Governments are anxious that the proposed Board should have necessary powers to act independently and without any legal or other difficulties so that there is no delay in the execution of the Rajghat Dam Project. The State Governments are willing to bear the expenses in proportion to the benefits which will accrue to them. They want the Board to utilise in equal measure the services of the officers of the two States. It is, therefore, proposed to take under the control of the Union the regulation and development of the Betwa river valley to the extent necessary for setting up a high-powered Board with necessary powers on the lines agreed to by the State Governments. Hence this Bill.3. The Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of a Board to be called the Betwa River Board. The Union Minister in charge of Irrigation will he the Chairman of the Board. The other members of the Board will be the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and Ministers of those States in charge of Irrigation and Finance. Subject to the general superintendence and control of the Board, the management of the affairs of the Board will vest in an Executive Committee consisting of officers of the two State Governments and the Central Government. The Board's functions will include the carrying out of surveys and investigations in the Betwa river valley, the preparation of a comprehensive project report and the construction of Rajghat Dam and the common carrier from the dam to irrigate areas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The expenses of the Board will be met by the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and those Governments will also make suitable provisions as to moneys, land facilities and electrical power for construction and all other things required by the Board. - Gazette of India, 6-1-76, Pt. II, Section 2, Ext., p. 81.Act 47 of 1971.- The Betwa River Board Act, 1976, was enacted to provide for the establishment of a Board for the creation of a reservoir at Rajghat by construction on behalf of the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, of a dam on the Betwa river at Rajghat. The Rajghat Dam Project, as then envisaged, was intended to be a project for providing irrigation facilities only. It has since been decided that generation of power should also form an integral part of the project. It is, therefore, proposed to amend the Act to alter the composition of the Board so as to include therein the Union and the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Ministers in charge of Power and amplify the functions of the Board so as to include within the Rajghat Dam Project generation of power also.2. To meet situations in which suitable officers of the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are not available for appointment as Financial Adviser to the Board, it is proposed to avail of the present opportunity to amend section 7 of the Act to provide that the Central Government may with the concurrence of the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, appoint an officer of the Central Government as the financial Adviser to the Board.3. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objects. - Gazette of India, 9-8-1977, Pt. II, Section 2. Ext., p. 555.[10th April, 1976]An Act to provide for the establishment of a Board for the creation of a reservoir at Rajghat by construction, on behalf of the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, of a dam on the Betwa river at Rajghat and for the regulation of such reservoir.Be it enacted by Parliament in the Twenty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:-
