CHANDIGARH: A World Bank delegation is coming to Chandigarh to meet senior functionaries of the Haryana Government on Thursday. The meeting will be presided over by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
 

According to sources, the Haryana Government would apprise the World Bank team of the developmental challenges it faces and seek financial assistance in the areas of power, industrial training, roads, water supply, sanitation and resource management and livelihood project.
 
The power sector is seeking from the World Bank assistance of Rs 380 million for Rs 551.38 million projects. The Central Government recommended the proposal to the World Bank in December 2007. The project would be for five years from 2008 to 2013. Bids for transmission and distribution schemes of $ 250 million are expected to be invited by September 2008.
 
The State Government is seeking World Bank assistance of Rs 595 million for modernisation of 17 Industrial Training Institutes. The road sector projects posed to the World Bank, involve upgradation mainly of State highways, major district roads at a cost of $ 1,400 million. The first phase would cost $ 250 million and there would be a bank loan of $ 200 million.
 
The sources said, a comprehensive project of water supply and sanitation covering 54 towns and costing $ 737.5 million has also been put to the World Bank because due to rapid urban growth, there is a need to accelerate augmentation of water supply, sewerage and other amenities on a wider scale.
 
The Resource Management and Livelihood Project proposal seeks external funding with the objective of sustainable management of degraded natural resources in 500 selected villages of 11 districts through active participation of stakeholders.
 
The stakeholders include women, Scheduled Castes, small and marginal farmers. The cost of proposed project is $ 57.275 million, out of which the share of the World Bank is $ 39.525 million.