Rajasthan demands special status, help in drinking water projects

The Rajasthan government today requested the centre to grant special status to the state for the completion of various projects, including crucial works related to drinking water.

"Projects worth Rs20,000 crore for drinking water have been taken up by the state government. But the completion of these projects is not possible on our own. An amount of Rs35,000 crore is needed to solve the severe drinking water problem in the state," Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said and requested the centre to accept the long-standing demand of the state for granting it a special status.

Gehlot, speaking at the National Development Council meeting at New Delhi, also requested the centre to sanction his government's plan worth Rs458 crore for renovation of feeders and canals situated in Rajasthan. He made a plea for an early release of Rs952 crore sanctioned for the renovation of the Punjab Feeder of Indira Gandhi Canal.

Gehlot demanded that 80 per cent of the project cost for Jaipur city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) be sanctioned as a central grant and all the cities having a population of more than five lakh be included in the central scheme.

He said additional power should be allotted from the Ultra Mega Power Project.

The chief minister said that against the state's 11th Plan size of Rs 71,732 crore, an expenditure of Rs 46,781 crore has been incurred in the first three years.

Targets of the 11th Plan will be achieved in the fourth year of the Plan period, he hoped.