Haroli/Una, October 30:- Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 10 development projects worth ₹36 crore 5 lakh 62 thousand in the Haroli Assembly constituency. He dedicated eight projects to the public at various locations and laid the foundation stones for two new projects. The eight inaugurated projects will provide irrigation facilities to a total of 205 hectares of land, while the sewerage project in Tahliwal, being constructed at a cost of ₹24.10 crore, will benefit around 5,000 people.
The Deputy Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the sewerage project for Tahliwal town. The project, being constructed at a cost of ₹24 crore 10 lakh 44 thousand, will benefit around 5,000 people. He also laid the foundation stone for the conservation of the heritage structure of the old water supply scheme in Tahliwal, construction of a new pump house and boundary wall, and construction of a drain within the Jal Shakti Department's scheme premises, at a cost of ₹3 crore 30 lakh 29 thousand.
He inaugurated lift irrigation schemes constructed at a cost of ₹1 crore 10 lakh in Behli of Gondpur Jaichand, ₹1 crore 24 lakh in the Upper area, ₹1 crore 25 lakh in Nangal Kalan, ₹1 crore 4 lakh in Bilna and ₹1 crore 8 lakh in Ajouli. These five schemes will provide irrigation facilities to 124 hectares of land.
In addition, he inaugurated works completed at a cost of ₹96 lakh in Kante, ₹1 crore 7 lakh 89 thousand near the Cooperative Society in Haroli, and ₹90 lakh for the improvement of the source of Tubewell No. 32, rising main and distribution system in Khad. These three works will benefit areas measuring 26, 30 and 25 hectares, respectively.
Deputy Chief Minister Inspects Historic Lajpat Rai Water Works Complex
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri also inspected the historic Lajpat Rai Water Works complex in Tahliwal, established in 1949. This historic water supply scheme will be developed as a Water Supply Heritage Museum. For this purpose, the old pump house, vintage pumping machinery and the technical heritage associated with the water supply system of that era will be restored, preserved and displayed. An amount of ₹3 crore 30 lakh 29 thousand will be spent on conserving the historic structure of the scheme, constructing a new pump house and boundary wall, and building a drain within the complex.
It is noteworthy that the Lajpat Rai Water Works was inaugurated on December 6, 1949, by Sir Chandulal M. Trivedi, the then Governor of East Punjab. At that time, the scheme was established to provide drinking water to a population of around 20,000 across 31 villages of the Beas region. Two Ruston diesel engines, each with a capacity of 156 horsepower and imported from England, were installed there. These engines supplied drinking water until 1974. The historic pump house and machinery from that era remain preserved even today. Once developed as a museum, the complex will preserve the historical journey of the development of drinking water systems in the state and serve as an important centre for students, researchers and the general public.
On this occasion, State Congress General Secretary Ranjit Rana, District Congress President Des Raj Gautam, Haroli Block Congress President Sandeep Agnihotri, Zila Parishad members Kewal Singh Aujla and Sulinder Pal Kaur, District Mahila Congress President Suman Thakur, District Youth Congress President Prashant Rai, Kangar Pradhan Vinod Bittu, Lower Panjawar Pradhan Pramod Kumar, Palkwah Pradhan Anjana Kumari, Bhaini Khad Pradhan Vandana Devi, Upper Khad Pradhan Urmila Devi, Dharampur Pradhan Subhadra Chaudhary, HICAPs Chairman Vikramjit Singh, Ex-Servicemen League President Captain Shakti Chand, former Haroli Pradhan Raman Kumari, Chief Engineer Rohit Dubey, Superintending Engineer Naresh Dhiman, Executive Engineer Puneet Sharma and Haroli Industrial Association President Rakesh Kaushal, along with other office-bearers, party workers and officials, were present.
