Deputy Chief Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri held a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at New Delhi today. He urged the Union Minister for providing required budgetary assistance for an effective and sustainable irrigation network in the state to give impetus to farming. He apprised that there is a need to strengthen the irrigation network as a large area is still deprived of Irrigational facilities. He also advocated for allocating special budget for construction of tube wells. Deputy Chief Minister also raised the issue of tapping the water from Pong and BBMB reservoirs with the Union Minister. He said that about Rs. 1200 crore is also needed for the drinking water supply sector in the state. Thanking the Union Minister for his generous approach and releasing an installment of Rs. 336 crore to the State under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Agnihotri also urged for releasing the remaining amount of Rs. 340 crore for the Phina Singh Project which is under progress and Rs. 286 crore has already been spent so far.
He said that the Phina Singh medium Irrigation Project was started at an initial cost of Rs. 204 crore in 2011 which has now escalated to Rs. 646 crore.. Agnihotri said that a road map was in the pipeline for ensuring an effective and sustainable irrigation network in the state. A joint meeting of the officers of state Jal Shakti Vibhag and Jal Shakti Ministry has also proposed to shape the road map in accordance with the requirements and existing problems being faced. He also demanded for budgetary provisions to ongoing and upcoming sewerage schemes so that timely completion of schemes could be ensured. Deputy Chief Minister specifically took up the issue of the Beet Irrigation Project with Union Minister and urged to accord sanction to this Rs. 75 crore ambitious project. Earlier, he honoured the Union Minister and invited him to Himachal Pradesh.
