Uttarakhand tables an Irrigation Bill to replace the 1873 canal law at the Gairsain session

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Uttarakhand tables an Irrigation Bill to replace the 1873 canal law at the Gairsain session

27 October 2026

The Uttarakhand government placed a supplementary budget and nine other Bills before the State Assembly sitting at Gairsain on 27 October. Of the extra spending, Rs 3,679 crore falls under the revenue head and Rs 4,164 crore under the capital head; the main budget passed in March was Rs 1.11 lakh crore. The key Bill is the Uttarakhand Irrigation Bill 2026, which is meant to replace the 153-year-old Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873. The others include the Uttarakhand Fire and Emergency Services Bill- 2026 and a second Jan Vishwas amendment Bill. The extra grants keep Rs 290 crore for the Kumbh due from January 2027 and Rs 30 crore for the Haridwar-Ganga corridor project. Another Rs 122 crore is set aside for the Gairsain water supply dam project. The House passed the supplementary budget the next day amid Opposition protests and was then adjourned sine die.

Revenue head: Rs 3,679 crore Capital head: Rs 4,164 crore Kumbh provision: Rs 290 crore Law to be replaced: Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873

Why it matters for exams: The Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873 is a standing colonial-era irrigation law, and Gairsain in Chamoli is Uttarakhand's summer capital where the Assembly meets.

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27 October 2026 Source: The Times of India

In plain words

Supplementary budget Supplementary demands for grants — Extra spending a government seeks from the legislature during the year, over the main budget.

Sine die Without a day — Adjournment of a House without fixing a date for its next sitting.

Jan Vishwas Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) law — A law that removes or softens minor criminal penalties in older statutes to ease compliance.