Amarinder Singh rededicates Shahpur Kandi Dam project to people of Punjab

The project has been revived with the Chief Minister’s personal efforts to resolve all pending issues with the Jammu and Kashmir government. Of the estimated cost, which is in addition to the Rs 640 crore already spent till 2014, Rs 1408 crore would be spent on the power component, with 100 per cent share of Punjab government, and Rs 685 crore on the irrigation component, with a share of Rs 485 crore to be contributed by the central government and Rs 179.28 crore by the state government.

Announcing that the project would be completed within three years, Capt Amarinder said it would result in increased irrigated of 5000 hectares across the state. Apart from generating clean power, the project would also improve irrigation potential of 1.18 lakh hectares of Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC), he added.

He further said it would reduce the water flowing into Pakistan drastically and would help save the critical water resources of the state. As many as 230 families ousted as a result of the project had been offered jobs and another 34 would be given jobs shortly, he added.

The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by MP Sunil Jakhar and Bhoa MLA Joginder Pal, personally handed over appointment letters to five wards of the oustees for the Shahpur Kandi Dam.

Asserting that the border belt up to Shahpur Kandi would be one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the world, Capt Amarinder said that the project would also give impetus to tourism besides supplementing the income of residents in the region. With the construction of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, the historic Mukteshwar Temple would also be saved from submergence by creating a retaining wall, he added.

Holding the Akalis responsible for the complete mess prevailing in the state, the Chief Minister said that there was Rs 43,000 crore debt when they came to power in 2007 and it had crossed Rs 2.10 lakh crore over 10 years of their rule, with no development at all in the state.