Gandhinagar: State Government Spokesperson Rushikesh Patel today reiterated that the Gujarat government remains firm on its 2022 decision to keep the Par-Tapi-Narmada Link Project on hold.

Providing background details, Patel said the project was first proposed in 1980 by the then state government and was revived in 2011 by the then Prime Minister, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh. In 2017, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by the concerned central ministry.

The official announcement to suspend the project was jointly made in 2022 by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Navsari MP C.R. Patil. Since then, neither the state nor the central government has taken any steps to move the project forward.

Recently, questions regarding the Par-Tapi-Narmada Link Project were raised in the Rajya Sabha on February 10 and July 27, 2025. Patel clarified that references made to the DPR in those responses pertained to the 2017 version, and no updated DPR has been released since then. He further explained that DPRs are not tabled in Parliament or State Assemblies, but only before the relevant ministry.

On August 10, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil also publicly stated that neither the Centre nor the state intends to proceed with the project. Patel said the Gujarat Cabinet has already decided to halt the project, and the government stands firm on that decision taken in 2022.

Criticising the opposition, Patel cautioned against politicising the issue and misleading the tribal population or the people of Gujarat for political gain. He emphasised that the Gujarat government is committed to the all-round development and welfare of the tribal community. DeshGujarat