Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today reviewed the arrangements of the foundation stone laying ceremony for Rehabilitation project of Bist Doab Canal-the lifeline of Doaba, to be held on February 20 at Nawanshehar and Nakodar (Jalandhar).Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's office said that a meeting in this regard was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister here at Punjab Bhawan, this morning.Taking part in deliberations, the Chief Minister exhorted the leaders of SAD-BJP and the top brass of the government to elicit huge participation of the people from different walks of life on this historic event. He said that the Bist Doab Canal was carved out of the Ropar Headworks for providing irrigation facility to the farmers of the Doaba region. Mr. Badal said that the mega project for sprucing up the Bist Doab Canal network was first of its kind as it is for the first time that concrete lining of the canal network would be done instead of the conventional brick lining adding that earlier, this technique was exclusively used in the construction of dams.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has preliminary decided to modernize the Bist-Doab canal as part of a plan to renovate 801 kilometre long stretch of canal network at a cost of Rs. 269.78 crore to provide irrigation facility to the cultivated land of 847 villages. He said that modernisation of minors, distributaries and watercourses was also part of this project due to which its cost has been raised to Rs.320 crore. Mr. Badal said that the modernisation of the canal network was need of the hour as its capacity had been reduced to 1000 Cusecs whereas the original capacity of this canal network was 1452 Cusecs when commissioned.The Chief Minister said that this project would prove to be a big boon for the entire Doaba region as it would enhance the flow of canal water thereby reducing the burden on Tube wells for irrigation besides checking the trend of depleting ground water level.
Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Mr. Sohan Singh Thandal, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr. Pawan Teenu, Chaudhary Nand Lal, Mr. Som Parkash and Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh, MLAs Bibi Jagir Kaur, Mr. Gurpratap Singh Wadala, Mr. Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Mr. Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan and Mr. Pargat Singh, Advisor to Chief Minister Mr. Tikshan Sud, Chairman MARKFED Mr. Jarnail Singh Wahid, former Minister Bibi Upinderjeet Kaur, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary (PWD) Mr. NS Kalsi, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr KJS Cheema, Secretary Irrigation Mr Kahan Singh Pannu, former MLA and Chairman District Planning Committee Kapurthala Mr Sarabjeet Singh Makkar, Chairman District Planning Committee Jalandhar Mr Gurcharan Singh Channi, Chairman District Planning Committee SBS Nagar Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi, President BJP Jalandhar Mr. Ramesh Sharma and President of Youth Akali Dal Doaba Zone Mr. Sarabjot Singh.