Japanese firm to fund Rs 3000 crore civic project for Punjab

Chandigarh, July 5 (UNI) A leading Japanese financial institution, the Japan Bank of International Cooperation, (JBIC) has agreed to fund the ambitious programme to provide 100 per cent water supply and sewerage connectivity in all the major cities of Punjab.

The financial implication of this programme could well cross Rs 3000 crore by the time major towns like Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda were brought under its purview, an official spokesman said here today.

In the first phase of the programme, the JBIC would fund the Rs 360 crore project for total water supply, sewerage connectivity and garbage disposal in the holy city of Amritsar.

The Japanese firm would cover the entire cost in the form of a soft loan at nominal rate of interest of 0.75 per cent. The loan would be recovered over a period of 30 years, with a ten year moratorium.

The spokesman said ensuring supply of safe potable water, sewerage connectivity to all houses of urban habitations would be the first priority of this programme. Sewerage treatment plants and solid garbage disposal plants for every city would be covered under the second phase of the project.

These decisions were taken today at a meeting of the Local Government Department and representatives of Japan Bank of International Cooperation, presided over by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Mr Badal directed the Local Government department to start the implementation of this programme from the poorest colony of Holy City of Amritsar to provide 100 per cent connectivity of water and sewerage for every house. so that this colony emerged as a model for the whole State.

The Chief Minister further said state government should endeavour that no urban habitat in the state had opened drains and the age old practice of carrying night soil on the head still prevalent in some areas had to be phased within five yeas.

The representatives of JBIC assured the Chief Minister that they were ready to take the funding responsibility of other urban habitations of state once the DPR of those habitation were cleared by the government.

They said that JBIC was focusing on maximum funding to India and Punjab would be their first priority in funding programme.

UNI