Centre releases Rs 37.5 crore for Buddha Nullah cleaning

LUDHIANA: The central government has sanctioned an additional Rs 37.50 crore for Buddha Nullah cleaning project, Union Information and Broadcasting minister and local MP Manish Tewari has said.

This is in addition to Rs 50 crore provided earlier by the Planning Commission and Rs 16 crore under bio-remediation project for the cleaning of the Nullah by the Union Environment Ministry, Tewari said in a statement issued today.

He said this extra amount was alloted after he raised the matter with the Planning Commission. It is meant for the domestic sewerage of Ludhiana city.

Funds are being released to the state government immediately with the direction that these may be released to the implementing agency without any delay, he said.

"Failure in doing so will lead to the recovery of the money with interest for the period of default," he said.

Tewari expressed hope that the state government will ensure that the funds are properly utilised and do not meet the same fate as the Rs 50 crore released earlier.

"This money (Rs 50 crore) was never spent on the Buddha Nullah cleaning," he alleged.