Haryana gives Rs 55 cr compensation to farmers

Chandigarh, Feb 24 (UNI) The Haryana government has provided a sum of Rs 55 crore to the farmers of three districts of Ambala, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra as compensation for acquiring their land for construction of Shahbad Dadupur Nalvi Canal.

Fifteen per cent work of this canal has already been completed and the rest would be completed by the year 2009, Haryana Irrigation Minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav said today.

The main aim of construction of Rs 267 crore canal was to utilise surplus water of river Yamuna so that water table in this area could be raised, he said.

He said this ambitious project was only on the paper for the last 20 years. It was because of the initiative taken by the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda that the construction work on canal commenced.

Capt Yadav said this 375 km long canal would irrigate and recharge an area of 92,532 hectares of land in Yamunanagar, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts.

UNI