Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. Image for illustration purposes only. | Photo credit: ANI
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Ferozepur Feeder Canal at Sadhuwali near Sriganganagar, affirming that his government’s policies will ensure the prosperity of farmers and help supply irrigation water to remote areas.
The project will benefit farmers in northern Rajasthan by strengthening the state’s century-old network of irrigation canals. The commencement of the ₹1,717 crore development work for the canal system marked the completion of 100 years of the Gang Canal, built by the former ruler of the princely state of Bikaner Ganga Singh.
The reconstruction of the feeder is expected to increase the reliability of irrigation for both rabi and kharif crops and help increase agricultural production through better diversion of excess water from Harike Barrage to Ferozepur Feeder. $647 million will be spent on feeder reconstruction, $300 million on renovation of Bikaner canal, $695 million on automation of 3.14 million hectares of land and $75 million on reconstruction of damaged and defunct canals.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Sharma said the project would ensure year-round water flow to the Ganges canal for the benefit of farmers in the command area. Work to be carried out in the project, which will be completed by October 2027, includes concrete canvas lining, reconstruction of two head regulators and one cross regulator, construction of a new head regulator and repairs to three railway crossing bridges.
“Canal-related development work is the basis of a bright future for Rajasthan’s irrigation sector. We have closely watched and understood the difficulties faced by farmers… Our government is committed to supporting them with irrigation water and power, crop insurance, remunerative prices and modern technology,” said Mr. Sharma.
On the occasion, Mr. Sharma announced an increase of ₹ 15 in the minimum support price for sugarcane. The support price will be increased from ₹401 to ₹416 per quintal for early maturing varieties of sugarcane, from ₹391 to ₹406 per quintal for medium maturing varieties and from ₹386 to ₹401 per quintal for late varieties.
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of Water Resources Suresh Singh Rawat, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Sumit Godara and Chairman of the State Agriculture Commission of the Czech Republic Chaudhary attended the event, among others.
Published – 05 Dec 2025 21:16 IST
