Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Irrigation Department to moot a proposal for amending the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act to check the growing malpractice of water theft in the state. In a meeting held to review the functioning of the department this morning, Badal asked the Chief Engineer (Canals) to submit a comprehensive proposal for making amendments to the Act on the pattern of Haryana and Rajasthan. Badal also agreed to a proposal to bring the operation and maintenance of water courses under the Irrigation Department by making relevant amendments to the Canal Act. The Chief Minister also gave in principle approval to fill vacant posts of SDO through the Punjab Public Service Commission and asked the department to immediate initiate the process. He also asked the Chief Secretary to allow the Irrigation Department to fill 50 per cent of the vacant posts of patwari through promotion. He also conceded to a proposal for the creating a post of engineer-in-chief in the department. Badal asked the chief secretary to convene a joint meeting of the officers of the Forests and Irrigation Departments to direct the Forest Department not to undertake plantation of trees on the banks of canals, distributaries and minors to avoid frequent breaches. He also asked Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon to regularly check the quality of construction of ongoing projects and make concerted efforts to bring micro and macro improvement in the canal system. He also directed the Principal Secretary Irrigation to coordinate with the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, to assess the feasibility of relining the Rajasthan and Sirhind feeders without its closure through some latest available technology. Otherwise the work on these projects should be started positively by April 1, 2013, by closing the canals. He also asked the Principal Secretary, Irrigation, to chalk out a time-bound action plan for checking the problem of waterlogging. Meanwhile, the Chief Engineer, Drainage, informed Badal that funds to the tune of Rs 4,966.11 lakh were required for desilting of water logged and wet drains in the state before the onset of monsoons. He assured the Chief Minister that detailed projects relating to flood protection works on the Ravi and Sutlej amounting to Rs 13,461 lakh and Rs 7,750 lakh, respectively, under the boarder areas scheme would be submitted to the Centre within 15 days. Besides, flood protection works sanctioned under NABARD RIDF-XVII amounting to Rs 7,973.88 lakh were being taken up immediately. key decisions n Filling vacant posts of SDO through the Punjab Public Service Commission n Creation of the post of engineer-in-chief in the Irrigation Department n Irrigation Department allowed to fill 50 per cent vacant posts of patwari through promotion n Chalking out a time-bound action plan for checking the problem of waterlogging