"Bihar is not in favour of enactment of any central law or setting up of any central institution with regard to distribution and control of water, which has been kept in the state list of the Constitution because it will lead to violation of the rights of the states," state Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said.
He was speaking at the 6th meeting of the National Water Council to give final touches to National Water Policy-2012.
Chaudhary said that while his state has no problem with a national framework on water related policies, it should only be suggestive in nature and not be in form of some law or Act.
"There cannot be any policy in this regard, which is equal for all states. The National Water Policy should be such that it takes care of the state specific needs and maintains the institutional structure," he said.
He said water is a natural resource, which many states have used to the hilt for their economic development while some other states have been deprived of this resource.
"A state like Bihar, which is marching forward to development by using its water as economic resource like other states, may face impediments in its effort due to such an attempt," he said demanding that water resource should be treated at par with other natural resources.
He said that the Bihar government needs to put its water resource to maximum use to achieve its agriculture growth target as envisaged recently in its agri road map.
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Drawing attention towards the problem of flood during Monsoon in the state, he said the central government should envisage a plan to collect this excess water. He also urged the Centre to take up the issue of the interlinking of rivers seriously and accord top priority to drinking water.
He said there is also a need to promote research and training at state level and develop a water research development and management centre in Bihar.