Badal seeks clearance of irrigation projects worth Rs 5236 cr

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought early clearance of various irrigation projects worth Rs 5,236.7 crore pending with Water Resources Ministry at different stages.
In his meeting with Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Badal urged her to clear the pending projects that includes the re-lining of Rajasthan and Sirhind feeders at a cost of Rs 2,125.69 crore.
The Chief Minister also impressed upon her to immediately sanction and release Rs 1375 crore for the rehabilitation, renovation and modernization project of various distributaries along with allied works in Punjab (UBDC) system in border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur.
He also sought special funds to the tune of Rs 918 crore for the project of renovation and modernization of canals being fed from River Satluj costing Rs 918.25 crore as this project had already been sanctioned by the MoWR in November 13, 2015.

Pleading for expeditious clearance of various irrigation projects awaiting Ministry's nod, Badal also posed a project of Swan River Flood Management worth Rs 284.98 crore besides seeking funds to the tune of Rs 161.04 crore for execution of flood protection project under river management activities and water related to border areas.
He also sought approval for the channelization of River Ghaggar by the Ghaggar Standing Committee involving a cost of Rs 135.63 crore.

Likewise, the Chief Minister also asked the Ministry to immediately release funds to the tune of Rs 46.12 crore for carrying out flood protection works along River Beas under Flood Management Project.

Responding positively to the issues raised by Badal in the meeting, the Water Resources Minister assured that she would get the entire issues thoroughly examined by her Ministry before taking a final decision.
She assured Badal that the requisite funds demanded by the state government under various projects and proposals pending with Ministry would be released at the earliest, a Punjab government release said.