No Congress role in bringing irrigation project under Central scheme: MP

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, August 19

Kangra MP Rajiv Bhardwaj has said the Congress leaders from the area, who were patting their back for getting the much-delayed Rs 643-crore Phina Singh canal project in Nurpur under a Central scheme, had no contribution except raking up the issue to gain political mileage.

Addressing the media here today, Bhardwaj said the Narendra Modi government had recently included the project — that was hanging in balance for the past 13 years — under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and earmarked around Rs 290 crore for its completion. Thanking Prime minister Narendra Modi and union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil, the MP said the project was sanctioned during the previous PK Dhumal government with efforts of the then local MLA Rakesh Pathania and Irrigation Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi.

Admitting that it was a dream project of former minister and Congress stalwart late Sat Mahajan, he said none of the successive Congress government worked to get the project started for years together.

He alleged that the Congress leaders had only used the proposal of the ambitious project during elections to gain political mileage. Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had laid the foundation stone for the project and kick-started its construction.

Bhardwaj claimed that the pace of the work of the project had always slowed down during the Congress rule.

The MP said during the parliament’s Budget session he raised six times the issues of Kangra parliamentary constituency. “I have demanded a Sainik School and trauma centre in Chamba district and Nurpur area, tourism projects for Kangra and Chamba districts so that untapped tourism potential could be harnessed for generating employment opportunities for the locals,” he said.

The MP said he had also planned to approach the Union ministers concerned, along with all MLAs of his parliamentary constituency and prominent BJP leaders, to take up demands raised by him during the Budget session. Local MLA Ranbir Singh Nikka and media in-charge of Nurpur BJP’s organisational district Atul Sudan were also present on the occasion.