Dam Safety Bill cleared; door left open for privatisation

HYDERABAD: The Rajya Sabha cleared the Dam Safety Bill on Thursday, disregarding the demand by TRS MPs to send it to a Select Committee two years after they supported it in the Lok Sabha. 

The TRS MPs wanted the Central government to play only an advisory role in the implementation of the Bill and not be directly involved in the maintenance of dams. The TRS is not against the Bill in toto, but is against certain provisions of the Bill. 

“Dam Safety Bill will enable the Centre have a uniform procedure to maintain the dams. Such a system is in place in several countries like the USA, the UK, Brazil and others,” an official said. 

However, experts point out that the Bill has a provision that the schedules, which define the duties and the responsibilities of the State and Central governments, can be amended by an executive order as and when required, without referring the Bill again to Parliament. 

“This is a dangerous provision and it is an undemocratic approach. The hidden agenda behind this is to ultimately open the doors for private individuals or entities for maintenance of the dams, as it was done to seaports, airports and railways,” opined an expert. 

An Act of Parliament could be amended only by Parliament and not outside, another expert pointed out. 
National Committee on Dam Safety, the National Dam Safety Authority, and the State Committee on Dam Safety are the Schedules in the Bill. 

The functions of these committees/authorities include resolving issues between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs) and others. These provisions can be amended by an executive order, without referring the Bill again to Parliament.