Can't release huge amounts for sewerage project completion due to financial crunch: Himachal govt

Dharamshala/Shimla, Dec 4 (PTI) Sewerage projects worth Rs 742 crore are currently under execution in Himachal Pradesh, and the government cannot release such a huge amount at once for completion of the projects due to financial crunch, the state assembly was informed on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, responding to questions by Congress’s Kewal Singh Pathania and BJP’s Satpal Singh Satti, and Balbir Singh Verma, urged MLAs to include ongoing sewerage projects under their priority schemes.

He said Pathania had secured Rs 56 crore for the Shahpur sewerage project, of which Rs 20 crore had been released, but added that releasing Rs 7 crore in a single instalment was difficult.

Intervening, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the government would provide funds for the sewerage project of the PGI Satellite Centre in Una if financial support was received from the Centre.

Replying to another supplementary by Satti, Agnihotri said that under the memorandum of understanding with PGI Chandigarh, the state government is responsible for expenditure on drinking water, sewerage and electricity.

He said 20 per cent of the project work had been completed, and an additional Rs 4.55 crore was needed for the sewerage component. He added that he would soon request the chief minister to release Rs 3 crore for the project. PTI BPL OZ OZ