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Badal unveils ambitious plan

Chandigarh: With an aim to provide safe drinking water and sewerage facilities to the people in the Malwa belt, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Friday unveiled an ambitious plan envisaging an investment of Rs 206.86 crore.

Projects for water supply and sewerage treatment plant projects in thirteen Municipal Councils of Bathinda and Mansa in a phased manner will be launched the Chief Minister said at a function here.

Efforts were afoot to tie up with Centre, World Bank, NABARD and other premier lending agencies to seek these funds to accomplish this gigantic task, he said.

He also appealed to the people to contribute their share of ten per cent and five per cent, respectively towards the World Bank’s drinking water and sewerage facility as one of its stipulated condition for the implementation of these schemes.

The foundation stones of these projects had been laid at five municipal councils of Bathinda district namely Kotfatta, Bhucho, Maur, Rampura Phul and Bathinda and two municipal councils Bhikhi and Budhlada in Mansa district.

Mr. Badal said the Punjab Government required Rs 2,784 crore for providing safe drinking water (Rs.638 crore), sewerage (Rs.756 crore) and sewerage treatment plants (Rs.1390 crore) for 100 per cent coverage of its population for these schemes.

Mr. Badal said 15 per cent of urban population was yet to be provided the facility of clean drinking water and 43 per cent was still without sewerage facility in the state.

All these projects would be completed within three years, he added. — PTI

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Badal unveils ambitious plan

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