The Indian Express Visiting Scholars

Idea Exchange provides students with an opportunity to interact with power influencers and thought leaders,besides our own journalists.

Idea Exchange provides students with an opportunity to interact with power influencers and thought leaders,besides our own journalists. This weeks guest was Pawan Bansal,Minister of Parliamentary Affairs

Sumaira: Eighty-eight per cent of the water of the Farakka Barrage,meant for our rivers,went to Bangladesh. Why did the government take so much time to react?

Bansal : Farakka Barrage was constructed in 1975 essentially to provide water for navigational purposes for the Calcutta Port. Thereafter,in 1996,there was a treaty with Bangladesh on the sharing of Ganga waters. That treaty is implemented by the Farakka Barrage project. It is not impacting our other river systems. If the water is in excess of 75,000 cusecs,the excess has to go to Bangladesh. In June,one gate failed,which led to more water downstream,to Bangladesh. It was an accident.

Sumaira: On the misconduct in Parliament,would you say the whips have failed due to the lack of cooperation from the Opposition or members of your party?

Bansal: Whips are not the people who wield the whip,they are the ones to be whipped. Decisions are taken at a different level by every party,many at higher levels. What can poor whip do?

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