North East Water Management Authority NEWMA will cover eight states of the Northeast and West Bengal
Brahmaputra Board at present is not functioning to its optimum level and requires a revamp to be able to help the region find flood control solutions.
Accordingly the Centre in coordination with the Northeastern states has decided to transform Brahmaputra Board into North East Water Management Authority (NEWMA). A source in Brahmaputra Board said that 80 per cent staff of the Brahmaputra Board is retired and the organisation is facing a serious manpower crisis. A total of 230 posts- more than half of its sanctioned staff strength - have been lying vacant for a long time. Most posts are filled on a deputation basis. According to sources in the Board, the total sanctioned strength of the Board is 415. There are 80 Group A posts, but 40 of these are vacant. Of the 40 posts, 14 are direct recruitment posts. In Group B, the total strength of sanctioned posts is 148, of which 72 are still vacant. Interestingly, 114 of these are direct recruitment posts. The total strength of Group C staff is 187, with 118 of these lying vacant at present. Notably, 153 of the posts are to be filled through direct recruitment.
A senior official of the board talking to GPlus on condition of anonymity said, “Brahmaputra Board will soon transform into NEWMA where eight states of the Northeast and West Bengal will work in coordination,” adding that there will be two important bodies –governing body and executive body. The governing body will be headed by the Union water resource minister and the chief ministers of the nine states will be the members.
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The executive body will implement the decisions taken by the governing body. The executive body will have officials of Centre and all the nine states as members.
The source said that all these days Brahmaputra Board only had powers of planning flood and erosion control measures but after NEWMA is formed the body will have powers to develop all the water ways in eight states and northern part of West Bengal. May be after the formation of NEWMA the master plans made by the Brahmaputra Board will be implemented.
The Brahmaputra Board source claimed unless the master plans are implemented no long-term solution to flood in Assam is possible.