Khattar announces development works worth Rs 575 cr for Sirsa dist

Sirsa, May 29 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced development works worth Rs 575 crore for Sirsa district.

Addressing a gathering at Odhan village in Sirsa district, Khattar said, "While considering the people of the state as a family, we have worked with the spirit of 'Haryana Ek, Haryanvi Ek'."

The Chief Minister made several announcements for Sirsa district, excluding for the municipal committees of Rania and Ellenabad and the municipal council of Mandi Dabwali in view of the upcoming civic body elections.

Khattar said that in a bid to channelise the energy of the youth, arrangements for opening gyms and developing sporting infrastructure would be made in the villages of Sirsa district at a cost of Rs 5-10 lakh.

While making a big announcement for the farmers residing in the villages located on the banks of the Ottu lake, the Chief Minister granted permission to lift the soil of this lake for a month.

Farmers can now lift six to 10 tonnes of soil in trolleys to use in their fields. The arrangement for lifting the soil in the trolleys will be made by the government. The farmer will have to pay Rs 100 per tonne for this. For one month, no permission or licence will be required for lifting the soil, said Khattar.

Khattar also said the work on Sherawali distributary has started, and the water will reach the tail from June 5, benefiting 20 to 25 nearby villages.

He also announced health projects worth more than Rs 13.05 crore for the district. Besides, the Chief Minister announced that 77 roads will be constructed by the marketing board in Sirsa at a cost of Rs 88 crore.

Khattar also announced Rs 34 crore for water drainage system in Sirsa, Rs 2 crore for the sports stadium at Mamber Khera and Rs 226 crore for development works in the rural areas.

The Chief Minister said that social evils like drug abuse have become a major concern, and as many as 40 deaths have been reported due to drug abuse from Sirsa and Fatehabad districts so far this year.

To curb this social evil, more and more de-addiction centres will be opened in Sirsa district. Besides this, awareness campaigns would also be launched by the police and the narcotics bureau and by forming committees at the village level. Also, strict action will be taken against drug peddlers, said Khattar.

Taking strict cognisance of corruption, as many as 800 accused involved in the paper leak scam have been put behind the bars and the search for 300 others is still on, he added.

The Chief Minister said an announcement has been made to open medical colleges in every district of the state, for which land has been identified in Sirsa district.