JAMMU, JUNE 18: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the long-pending Shahpur Kandi Dam Project, which remained neglected for decades, has been revived by the Narendra Modi government and is now nearing completion.
Describing the project as a symbol of perseverance and development, Singh said it is set to bring significant benefits to the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab by enhancing irrigation facilities and boosting agricultural productivity.
Speaking about the project’s background, the minister said that following the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, India was entitled to utilize the waters of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers. To ensure effective use of India’s share of Ravi river waters, a major project was envisioned in the late 1970s.
He noted that the foundation stone of the Shahpur Kandi Project was laid by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. However, after her assassination later that year, the project remained stalled for decades due to a lack of attention from successive governments at the Centre and in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Singh, the project received renewed momentum after the BJP-led government assumed office in 2014. Efforts were made to resolve pending issues through coordination between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab authorities, paving the way for its revival.
The minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally announced the revival of the project during a public rally in Jammu in February 2019, and the project is now close to completion.
He said the completion of the Shahpur Kandi Project will fulfil a long-standing aspiration of the people of the region and provide substantial irrigation benefits, leading to improved agricultural output and socio-economic development in the border areas of both Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
