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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, May 21: The sanctions imposed by the United States against India in the wake the nuclear blasts at Pokharan would have no adverse effect on developmental projects in Punjab, say officials.
The State Government is confident that its foreign-funded projects would carry on smoothly since these were finalised much before the blasts and that the funds from the World Bank had already been released.
According to principal secretary (finance) S K Tuteja, at present five major Punjab projects — two in forestry and one each in health, technical education and irrigation — are being funded by the World Bank. Brushing aside fears of sanctions, Tuteja said a six-member WB team on Thursday had assured full financial assistance to the ambitious Rs 421 crore project of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) during coming years.
The team headed by Tohid Nawaz, which met Minister for Health Manoranjan Kalia, Chief Secretary R S Mann and Tuteja, besides the health corporation officials, not onlyexpressed satisfaction at the ongoing project but also assured that the grant amounting to Rs 120 crore, which was scheduled to be released during the current financial year, would be provided without any hitch.
The first such team to visit Punjab in the wake of the controversial explosions told the State officials that Rs 30 crore would be released during the next two months. The team would be touring Patiala and Ropar on Friday to see the repair of government hospitals there.
