Haryana to tap Yamuna water: Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday hoisted the national flag in Sirsa town and announced projects worth Rs 2,000 crore to make the water of the Yamuna river available to the state.

Khattar said to utilise the surplus water of the Yamuna during the monsoon his government is preparing five projects with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore to make available 5,000 cusecs of water to the people of the state.

He said already Rs 1,657 crore has been allocated for the implementation of ‘Swaran Jayanti’ schemes in this fiscal. A number of schemes are expected to be announced on November 1, when Haryana enters the golden jubilee year of its inception.

Khattar said the state was developing an international-level war memorial in Ambala to preserve for posterity the heroic sagas of the sacrifices made by martyrs from the state.

“As a symbol of patriotism, the memorial would continue to inspire the youth to devote their lives to the service of the country,” he said.

He said in the past 20 months, the state has recorded an economic growth rate of 8.2 per cent, which is higher than the growth rate of the country.

In order to promote horticulture in the state the Chief Minister announced a horticulture university will be set up in Karnal.

The government plans to establish at least one centre of excellence for fruits and vegetables in each district and seven such centres have already been established, he said.

Khattar said: “Apart from this, an e-market platform has been launched under the National Agricultural Market Scheme and 54 mandis’ would be connected with this platform.”

On the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row between Haryana and Punjab, he said the state was committed to complete the canal and to ensure that Haryana gets its legitimate share of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers.

A colourful cultural programme was organised by school students here.

Similar Independence Day functions were also organised in all district headquarters.