PATIALA : In a move aimed at ensuring clean and safe potable water to the residents, the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a development grant of Rs. 1 crore for the installation of tube wells in-Patiala city.

This amount is in addition to the Rs. 32 crore already sanctioned to the Municipal Corporation of-Patiala for various development works, he said. An official spokesperson later pointed out that the Chief Minister had also earlier announced Rs. 100 crore for various development projects in-Patiala city.

The Chief Minister was reviewing the progress of various ongoing projects in the city with the Municipal Councillors here. During the meeting, he flayed the erstwhile SAD-BJP government for deliberately neglecting the development of-Patiala for political reasons.

Referring to his government’s proposal to provide potable canal-based drinking water in the four corporation towns of-Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar, the Chief Minister further said that for-Patiala, his government had already formulated a detailed project for supply Canal based drinking water, at a cost of Rs. 782 crore. A meeting would soon be held with the Urban Development Ministry, Government of India, to finalize the modalities, he added.

Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister for according priority to the development works of-Patiala city, Mayor Sanjiv Sharma Bittu assured him that all the ongoing development projects would be completed within the stipulated time frames. He said he had directed all the Councillors to personally supervise these projects to ensure timely completion without compromise on quality.

Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, MLAs Madan Lal Jalalpur and Hardyal Singh Kamboj, Senior Deputy Mayor Yoginder Singh Yogi and Deputy Mayor Vinti Sanghar were among other prominent persons present at the review meeting.