Chandigarh, Feb 28 (IANS): The central government Friday sanctioned a Rs.2,246 crore integrated programme to Punjab to combat the increasing problem of water-logging in south western part of the agrarian state.

In a communication to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Friday, union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said that the union cabinet decided Friday to launch the Rs.2,246 crore integrated programme to address water-logging problem in south west Punjab.

The programme has been sanctioned following a report submitted by a high-level expert group headed by Planning Commission member, Mihir Shah, to the central government last year.

The Punjab government had in October last year submitted an integrated plan of Rs.3,327 crore to the union government to deal with the water-logging problem.

The districts of Faridkot, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Bathinda are facing an acute problem of water-logging in the past few years.

"The total cost of this programme is Rs.2,246 crore over the next three years: of this the central government will contribute Rs.1,684.50 crore (75 percent)," Ramesh said in his letter to Badal.

The programme sanctioned includes priority projects like lining of the Rajasthan feeder canal and Sirhind feeder canal and surface and sub-surface drainage.

The Planning Commission will set up an inter-sectoral expert committee to monitor implementation of the project.

Chief Minister Badal and leader of opposition and senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar had shown rare political bonhomie by going together to submit the plan to the Planning Commission October last year.