He also said that the Renukaji dam project will benefit residents of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi and also help in rejuvenation of Yamuna.

 

Thakur told IANS that several projects pending for years have been completed by the government and more will be completed in future. "While approving new development projects, the Centre provided all assistance and funding to several projects delayed for long due lack of funds and other reasons. The government is committed to development and will complete them by providing all the necessary assistance. Ninety-nine such projects are taken for completion by the Modi government," Thakur said.

 

On the Saryu Nahar National Project inaugurated by the Prime Minister on December 11, Thakur said: "The project was pending for over four decades. In the last four years, the Centre provided almost 50 per cent of the funds needed to complete the project which provides irrigation facilities to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefits about 29 lakh farmers of over 6200 villages of Eastern Uttar Pradesh."

 

Mentioning Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project, Thakur said: "The project will provide irrigation facilities to 10.62 lakh hectares and drinking water to over 70 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh."

 

The Renukaji dam project, he said, will provide irrigation facilities and drinking water to the states of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. "Prime Minister's vision for farmer welfare and empowerment and his commitment has brought much needed focus on the project of national importance," Thakur said.

 

On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved 90 per cent grant to two national projects- Renukaji and Lakhwar (Uttarakhand). Six clusters of a total 154 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) schemes are going in Himachal Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) at an estimated cost of Rs 499.26 crore and targeted irrigation potential of 0.255 lakh hectare, he said.

 

"So far, total central assistance of Rs 356.70 crore has been released from these schemes and 97 schemes have been reported complete with achievement of 0.184 lakh hectare irrigation potential in March 2021," Thakur added.

 

The CCEA has also approved implementation of PMKSY for 2021-26 with an outlay of Rs 93,068 crore.