Weeks after hiking the annual plan outlay for Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh by over 20 per cent, the UPA government on Friday opened its coffers once again pledging Rs 2,915 crore to fund an ongoing irrigation project in the state. The ‘Sarayu Nahar Pariyojana’ — which began three-and-a-half decades ago but could not be completed because of lack of funds — is now set for completion by 2016. The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure also approved inclusion of renovation of irrigation projects that can restore lost irrigation potential in 2 lakh hectares or more land as eligible for funding under national projects. Such projects get 90 per cent central funding as against 25 per cent at present. The revision in guidelines will benefit among other projects the Sharda Sahayak Project spread across 15 districts, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s Rae Bareli Lok Sabh constituency, in Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party leadership has been mounting pressure on the UPA government for expediting the clearances for these two projects. While Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav had recently met Water Resources Minister P K Bansal, his party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav had called on Planning Commission Deputy Chairaman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The Sarayu Nahar Pariyojana will benefit eight districts. In December last year — ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh — the high-powered Steering Committee for National Projects constituted by the Ministry of Water Resources had cleared the project for inclusion under the scheme of National Projects. OTHER DECISIONS The Union Cabinet also gave its ex post facto approval for creation of the Central Academy for Police Training at Bhopal. A government statement said a total outlay of Rs 492 crore has been provided for the academy. The government also announced hike in the minimum support prices (MSP) of two major varieties of pulses — arhar and moong.