Silchar, Jan. 20: The Centre has rejected Assam?s plea for Rs 5.35 crore to upgrade the water treatment plant here. In a letter to Doner minister C.P. Thakur recently, Assam urban development minister Hem Prakash Narayan appealed for allotment of the fund from the Centre?s non-lapsable pool of resources.
Narayan said the town with a population of over three lakh has suffered over the past few years because of shortage of potable water. Hence, it was necessary to upgrade the 36-year-old water plant, which has the capacity to treat five million gallons of water every day.
Rejecting the state?s demand, Thakur said the Centre had already sanctioned a scheme commissioning the second water supply plant at the cost of Rs 13.88 crore. ?It would be incongruous to allocate two such plants in one district,? he said.