Every farmland in Himachal to get irrigation facility: Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 24

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that irrigation facility would be provided to every farmland in the state in a phased manner. He laid the foundation stone of two drinking water projects worth Rs 68 crore in the Manai area of the Shahpur Assembly segment0 in Kangra district.

Agnihotri, while addressing a public rally in the Lanj area of the Shahpur constituency, said that the work under the Jal Jivan Mission would be completed by next year. “Under the mission, Rs 1,027 crore is being spent in the district. Kangra is an important district where decisive efforts are being made to promote water and irrigation sectors. The work on the Phina Singh Medium Irrigation Project in Nurpur was pending since long. Till now, Rs 300 crore has been spent on it. Now, due to the efforts of the state government, the Central Government has given investment clearance to the project, the cost of which has escalated to Rs 643 crore,” he added.

He said that the Sukhaahar project in Jawali was also incomplete. “A proposal will be sent to the Union Government for funding the project, which requires Rs 223 crore. The state committee has approved a medium size irrigation project in Jawalamukhi worth Rs 367 crore and has sent a proposal to the Union Government for funding. Around Rs 350 crore is being spent on a sewerage project in Palampur while Rs 120 crore is required under Asian Development Bank-funded drinking water projects,” he added.

Agnihotri said that Rs 216 crore was being spent on irrigation and drinking water projects in the Shahpur constituency.

He added, “The government is making efforts to make Himachal a green state. It has decided to give a 50 per cent subsidy of up to Rs 50 lakh on the purchase of electric buses, electric taxis and electric auto-rickshaws to private operators. Six electric corridors have been declared in the state. While 15 e-buses have been started in Dharamsala, charging stations are being built at 126 places. Time has been allowed till December 31 for depositing the state vehicle tax without penalty and interest. It has been decided to issue 500 permits to the youth of the state to generate employment. The state government is working on a plan to hire e-vehicles from the youth for four years.”

Earlier, MLA Kewal Singh Pathania said that effective steps were being taken for the development of Shahpur. Various schemes had been approved for providing better drinking water facilities in the Changar area of Shahpur.

Agnihotri instructed officials concerned to start a bus service to Delhi from Shahpur, expand bus service on various routes, install hand pumps and complete every drinking water project within six months.

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