Agnihotri seeks Rs 1,227 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today urged the Central Governent to extend liberal financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh as the Jal Shakti Department alone had suffered Rs 4,000 crore losses in rain disasters in the past three years.

Agnihotri called on Union Minister for Water Resources CR Patil in New Delhi and urged him to release Rs 1,227 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission for the completion of the ongoing projects. He told the Union Minister that this year alone, the Jal Shakti Department had suffered Rs 1,291.51 crore losses.

He advocated for the release of Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) funds, keeping in view the grave situation faced by Himachal Pradesh due to flashfloods and unprecedented heavy rain. He stressed the need for relaxing PDNA norms to expedite the restoration work. He also insisted on the release of Central assistance for the ongoing irrigation projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana on priority.

Agnihotri told Patil that till date, the state had received only Rs100 crore out of Rs 697 crore approved for the water supply sector for 2023, though Rs 2,132.70 crore losses were suffered that year. This, he added, was hampering the progress of the restoration work.

Agnihotri advocated for the early release of Rs 1,795 crore for the already approved 11 flood protection projects, as maximum devastation had been observed along riverbanks. He underlined the need for channelling the Beas in view of its strategic importance and also to ensure safe movement of tourists, besides the transportation of horticulture produce from Kullu and the Lahaul valley.