Amid growing disputes over water sharing, the Centre has proposed setting up a permanent forum to enable states evolve consensus on these sensitive issues. Setting up of a 'permanent forum of Water Resources and Irrigation Ministers of state governments' is part of the agenda of a national level conference being held in New Delhi tomorrow.

With water being a state subject UPA government wants to use the forum to discuss issues like water laws. The issue of over-arching national legal framework had come under attack from state governments when the Draft National Water Policy was being discussed earlier this year.