Amritsar, Nov. 6 -- Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday inaugurated the Rs.3,394-crore Shahpur Kandi hydel project in Pathankot district, which will significantly boost the state's electricity generation and irrigation facilities. Dedicating the project to the people, the chief minister expressed gratitude to the engineers, employees and labourers who worked tirelessly day and night to turn this dream project into reality. He said the dam project will prove to be a blessing for farmers, industrialists, traders and common citizens, and also create large-scale employment opportunities for the youth. Sharing details about the project, he said Punjab and central government funded the project in the 80:20 ratio, with the state government contributing Rs.2,694 crore and the Centre Rs.700 crore. A total of 3,171 acres of land were acquired for the project, of which 1,643 acres are in Punjab and 1,527 acres in Jammu and Kashmir. Standing 55.5 metres high, the dam includes a 7.7-km hydel channel. Speaking about irrigation benefits, the chief minister said the project will provide irrigation facilities to 5,000 hectares (12,500 acres) of land in Punjab, bringing water to farmlands in the Majha region. "Two powerhouses with a total capacity of 206 MW are being constructed, and nearly 75% of the work has already been completed. The construction of three new canals linked to the dam is also in the final stages," said Mann. Additionally, a large lake has been created upstream, which will be developed as one of Punjab's premier tourist destinations in the coming years, the CM shared.HTC...