Patiala gets whopping amount of Rs.1000 crore for infrastructural development

Patiala, November 3: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced Rs. 1000 crore worth of development projects, including a canal-based drinking water supply scheme at Rs. 782 crores, for Patiala with an aim to have a whopping infrastructural development.

 

Notably, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh announced Rs. 1000 crore worth of development projects, including a canal-based drinking water supply scheme at Rs. 782 crores, for Patiala, in addition to 84000 new job cards in the district under MNREGA.

The new job cards will take the total number of cards under MNREGA in Patiala district to 1,82,000, the Chief Minister announced at a public rally here, declaring that his government had made a beginning and the next four and a half years would witness massive industrial and economic development in the state, notwithstanding the huge fiscal and revenue deficit inherited by his government from the previous regime.

Besides the surface drinking water supply scheme in Patiala, the Chief Minister announced the allocation of Rs. 38 crore for the completion of a project for conversion of Banur Canal from Non-Perennial to Perennial and Rs. 12,50 crore for the construction of 250 houses for the homeless, at Rs 5 lakhs per house under the Shehri Awaas Yojna, whereby the state government is providing free of cost homes for homeless people and subsidized houses for the economically weaker sections.

A Rs. 10 crore allocation has been made for the completion of the Aeronautical Engineering College, Patiala, the Chief Minister announced, adding that Rs. 9.41 crore had been set aside for completion of various ongoing and outstanding projects under PIDB.

Captain Amarinder further announced Rs. 24 crore for strengthening of water supply and Rs. 35 crore for augmenting sewerage system in the city under the AMRUT scheme, while Rs. 100 crore will be spent on new works to be undertaken by PIDB for the development of Patiala.

The bulk of the new projects relate to repair and construction of roads and parks, while other works to be undertaken by PIDB are for providing/developing/upgrading underground bins, LED lighting, public toilets, new tubewells, parking space and dharamshalas. The remaining funds will be spent on the development of focal point, desilting of main sewer line, sanitary machinery, channelization and beautification of Chhoti Nadi, among others.

The Chief Minister said his government had already initiated various other development works in Patiala as part of the package announced for the state. These initiatives include one-time settlement of property/house tax, one-time settlement of old arrears of water and sewerage charges. The former, he said, would entail payment of only principal amount only with a rebate of 10% if deposited before 16th January 2018.

Other initiatives taken by the state government include E-Governance in the delivery of Urban Civic Services, the establishment of Directorate of Fire Services at State Level, reservation of 50% seats for women in ULBs and devolution of proprietary rights to old tenants on residential and commercial properties of municipal bodies, said the Chief Minister.

Citing his various meetings with top industrialists in Mumbai over the past two days, CM Captain Amarinder referred to the measures taken by his government to promote the industry to generate employment and boost overall development in the state. “Patiala, which was already an education hub with top universities functional or proposed to be set up, would benefit immensely from this industrial development,” Captain Amarinder added.

Earlier, on arrival, the Chief Minister went to the Aeronautical Engineering College, Patiala, to review its construction and progress. He also had an interesting interaction with students of Patiala Aviation Club, which he said took him down memory lane as he recalled his own flying days.

Interestingly, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also announced to grant of Rs 363.43 crore to Jalandhar for the implementation of various ongoing and new schemes in the city. Captain Amarinder also promised that funds would also be made available for rural development in the area, which, like the rest of the state, had been ruined by the anti-people policies of the previous government.