Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare the project for tackling the menace of water logging in State as ‘National Project’ and immediately release central assistance of Rs 960.62 crore.
Badal called on Prime Minister here at Punjab Raj Bhawan as the latter was in the capital on an official visit. The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister that on the request of Punjab Government a team under the chairmanship of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had visited badly affected water logged areas to take stock of the situation. Subsequently a high power committee under the chairmanship of Member, Planning Commission Dr Mihir Shah, also visited the same region and suggested measures to solve the problem of water logging in the area.
The Chief Minister informed that keeping in view the suggestions of committee under the chairmanship of Dr Mihir Shah, a project amounting to Rs 960.62 crore stands submitted for approval and providing funds under central assistance for checking the menace of water logging and salinity and to reclaim fertile land for agriculture production. The anti-water logging measure proposed to be taken was also envisaged to help in improving the environment and reduce the prevailing health hazards. Badal bemoaned that inordinate delay in sanctioning the project had once again pushed the people of south west Punjab to the same miserable condition due to recent rains in August 2013.