Member of Parliament Pratibha Singh called on Union Water Resources Minister, Harish Rawat at Shram Shakti Bhawan in New Delhi.Mrs Pratibha Singh requested the Union Minister to release one time grant of Rs 62.42 crore to the State Government towards payment due from Punjab Government for Shah Nehar Major irrigation project. She told that Planning Commission had agreed to provide one time grant of Rs 62.42 crore toward payment due from Punjab during state annual plan for the year 2012-13. She told that complete case for release of this amount had also been processed by Central Water Commission and forwarded to the Ministry of Water Resources.
She requested the Union Minister to take positive view of the case and immediately release the payment of Rs 62.42 crore to the State Government which was pending from long time.Pratibha Singh also requested for release of arrears of AIBP amounting to Rs 157.08 crore and told that there was discrepancy of reimbursement given by Ministry of Water Resources between 2005-06 to 2012-13 under AIBP and FMP to the tune of Rs 157.08 crore and requested the Minister to release this amount immediately.Mrs Pratibha Singh requested the Central Government to sanction 44 projects under Minor Irrigation Scheme in the State and told that the State Government had submitted a shelf of 44 surface water based Minor Irrigation Schemes for inclusion under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) for the year 2013-14 and 2014-15. She told that total estimated costs of these projects was around 8300.11 lakh which would cover 8562.43 hectares land under irrigation schemes in the State. She also requested the release of central assistance of Rs 4050 Lacs for the year 2013-14.Union Minister for water resources Sh Harish Rawat assured her that the Union Government would take positive decisions of all the pending issues with the State Government and assured all possible help for extending the irrigation facilities in the State.