National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 127 crore and Rs 245 crore for Punjab and Haryana, respectively for improving rural infrastructure under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
NABARD approved two projects for Punjab government on rural connectivity and irrigation. With this sanction, the cumulative sanction to Punjab State under RIDF reaches the level of Rs 3,586.88 crore, a spokesman in a release issued here today.
"The project on rural connectivity envisages construction and upgradation of 11 roads and 9 bridges in 13 districts covering Amritsar, Fategarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Muktsar, NawanSahar (Saheed Bhagat Singh Nagar), Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur and SAS Nagar (Mohali)," he said.
The total cost for construction for these projects is estimated on the current market rates as Rs 97 crore and 80 per cent of the project cost amounting to Rs 78.05 crore is sanctioned as loan assistance under RIDF - XV.
While the Irrigation project envisages sidelining of Patiala Feeder of Ghaggar Branch in Patiala and Sangrur districts that would minimise the seepage losses by side lining. A total length of 52.44 km of canal would be lined at a cost of Rs. 51.69 crore of which NABARD extends loan assistance of Rs. 49.10 crore and the rest would be borne by the State government, he said.
For Haryana, a sum of Rs 147.54 crore was sanctioned for remodeling of 545 Watercourses which would benefit 16 districts of Haryana. The project would generate about 38.22 lakh mandays of non recurring employment and around 0.20 lakh mandays recurring employment, he said.
NABARD also sanctioned a project for widening and strengthening and reconstruction of 10 rural road projects with total length of 160.47 km in 8 districts involving RIDF loan of Rs 85.09 crore. These roads would provide all weather improved connectivity to 77 villages, 34 marketing centres, 02 Sugar mills, several educational and public health institutions, he said.
NABARD also approved a project for augmentation of rural drinking water supply in Mohindergarh district involving RIDF loan of Rs 12.42 crore. Since inception of RIDF in 1995-96, the total RIDF assistance sanctioned to Haryana government has now reached the level of Rs 2,359.68 crore.
