Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma received a grand welcome on Tuesday upon his return to Jaipur following the signing of the historic Yamuna Water Project Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, public representatives and residents greeted him at several locations along the route from Jaipur Airport to the Chief Minister's residence.
Addressing supporters, Sharma hailed the agreement as a watershed moment for Rajasthan and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the state's eight crore people. Calling June 29 a "historic day" for Rajasthan, the Chief Minister said the project would bring Yamuna water to Jhunjhunu, Churu and Sikar, transforming the Shekhawati region.
Referring to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Sharma said that while LoP Rahul Gandhi claims he will turn potatoes into gold, his government will bring Yamuna water to Shekhawati and farmers will produce gold from their fields.
He added that the project would boost agriculture, tourism, industry and local employment in the region. The Chief Minister accused the Congress of failing to deliver the long-pending Yamuna water project despite being in power in both Rajasthan and Haryana.
He alleged that successive Congress governments only gave false assurances to the people of Shekhawati and never made serious efforts to ensure coordination between the two states. Sharma also referred to the Haryana Congress's election manifesto, claiming it had promised to scrap the Yamuna water agreement, and questioned why former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had remained silent on the issue.
He said the promise made in the Rajasthan Assembly to bring Yamuna water to Shekhawati is now being fulfilled. Highlighting the progress of the project, Sharma said the state government worked closely with the Centre and the Haryana government to expedite the initiative.
Following the signing of an MoU on February 17, 2024, a task force was constituted and a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared. The project, estimated to cost over Rs 34,000 crore, will transport Yamuna water to Shekhawati through a 3.6-metre-diameter pipeline.
He added that work is also progressing on other major water infrastructure projects, including the Ramjal Setu Link Project, the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP), the Gang Canal, and the Dewas and Mahi projects. The Chief Minister said Rajasthan has witnessed a significant turnaround under the BJP government.
He claimed that while the previous Congress government was associated with paper leaks, corruption, gang activity and crimes against women, the present government has focused on employment generation, farmers' welfare and industrial growth.
Sharma said farmers in 26 districts are now receiving daytime electricity and that Rajasthan has become a power-surplus state capable of supplying electricity to others. The Chief Minister announced that PM Modi will visit Rajasthan on July 4 to inaugurate the Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra, lay the foundation stone for Jaipur Metro Phase II, and distribute appointment letters to thousands of newly recruited youths.
He said more than 1.25 lakh government jobs have been provided during the BJP government's tenure without any paper leak incidents. BJP Rajasthan president Madan Rathore described the Yamuna water agreement as a historic achievement and credited the BJP governments at the Centre, in Rajasthan and in Haryana for making the project a reality.
Drawing a comparison with the mythological figure Bhagirath, Rathore said Chief Minister Sharma had played a transformative role in bringing Yamuna water to Rajasthan after decades of waiting, adding that the Shekhawati region had been seeking the project since 1994.