NABARD sanctions Rs 135-cr loan to Haryana for rural infra

Chandigarh: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on Tuesday said it has sanctioned a loan of Rs 134.64 crore to the Haryana government under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund for 2015-16.

The funds have been sanctioned for 'Rehabilitation of JLN feeder system' in three districts of Jhajjar, Rewari and Mahendergarh, NABARD Chief General Manager (Haryana) P C Chaudhri said here.

The objective of the project is overall growth of southern districts of the state and a higher per capita income for farmers.

The south-western part of Haryana adjoining Rajasthan was buffeted by the issue of gravity channels and suffered due to lack of irrigation. The arid and semi-arid zone languished from a low and erratic rainfall, he said.

To overcome this, Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Feeder system was constructed in 1980. The major worry is the pumps have outlived their utility.

Under the present project, it is proposed to replace or rehabilitate aging motors, pumps and switching panels to restore the existing lifting capacity of the pumps. Rehabilitating the channels by lining of channels and strengthening of banks are also part of proposals.

It would not just bring vast tracts of south-western Haryana under irrigation, but provide drinking water facilities and provide assured water to farmers, he said.

With this sanction, the cumulative RIDF assistance sanctioned by NABARD to Haryana has reached Rs 5,038.40 crore involving 3,633 projects in various sectors and an amount of Rs 3,544.35 crore has been disbursed there till date, he said.