Srinagar, June 10: The Centre has approved Rs 267 crore project aimed at saving famous Dal Lake here, J&K minister for housing and urban development Ghulam Hassan Mir told the state assembly. Describing development of the lake as a priority area of the coalition government, he said the state government would not allow any further encroachment of the lake and existing encroachments would be removed in a phased manner. Replying to debate on demands of grants of departments under his charge, the minister said 70 per cent of the funds would be provided by the Centre and 30 per cent by the state government to preserve the lake. He said the Parliamentary standing committee on environment, which visited the state last week, had assured that it would consider state government's request for hundred per cent central funding for the project.
Regarding the delay in holding municipal corporations and local bodies elections in the state, he said these would be held as soon as new wards are delimited and fresh electoral rolls updated by the chief electoral officer, nominated as election authority under the Municipal Corporation Act. He said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government was committed to make democratic institutions fully representative.
Bureau Report