Chandigarh: Haryana has prepared rural infrastructure proposals totalling ₹2,295.2 crore for 2026-27 and is seeking ₹2,180.5 crore in support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (NABARD) Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), state officials said on Monday.
Priority projects and funding mix
Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi reviewed the proposals and ongoing NABARD-funded works, instructing departments to expedite implementation and submit claims consistent with physical and financial progress. The packet of six priority proposals tackles water security, renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure and rural connectivity.
Key projects include:
- Irrigation: a project estimated at ₹315.3 crore.
- Rural roads: 57 road projects totalling ₹495.7 crore.
- Drinking water: a ₹744.5 crore scheme for five Mahagram villages — Bichore, Bisru, Nai, Singar and Pingawan — in Nuh and Palwal districts, proposing Ranney wells and allied infrastructure in the Yamuna floodplain.
- Warehousing: a proposal worth ₹290.7 crore to add 2,30,508 MT of new storage and to rebuild 1,23,664 MT of storage capacity in low-lying areas; NABARD assistance of ₹276.20 crore has been sought for this.
Phasing and approvals
The drinking-water project has been split into phases. The first phase, estimated at ₹299 crore, awaits approval from the finance department, according to the review. Haryana has already secured permission to borrow ₹2,300 crore from NABARD for 2026-27, the officials noted.
Funding channels and additional proposals
State officials said the government expects disbursements of around ₹1,600 crore under RIDF and the Micro Irrigation Fund. Beyond RIDF, Haryana is exploring financing under other NABARD windows including Rural Infrastructure Assistance to State Governments (RIAS), NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA) and the bank’s green lending facility.
One specific green-energy proposal being advanced is by the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA): the solarisation of government and public buildings, for which roughly ₹423 crore of NABARD assistance is being sought.
Wider programme alignment
The state is also examining NABARD support for its Water Secure Haryana programme, a larger initiative with an estimated cost of ₹5,714 crore. The programme targets groundwater recharge, irrigation efficiency, rejuvenation of water bodies, micro-irrigation and wastewater reuse; the review flagged NABARD as a potential financier for parts of that plan.
Implementation bottlenecks flagged
The chief secretary’s review identified a shortfall in disbursements on some ongoing RIDF projects: a gap of ₹962.8 crore in claims and release as of 17 August. Departments were told to accelerate project execution and to ensure claims are submitted in line with both physical progress and financial norms to secure timely releases.
| Item | Estimated cost (₹ crore) |
|---|---|
| Total proposals for 2026-27 | 2,295.2 |
| NABARD assistance sought (RIDF) | 2,180.5 |
| Drinking-water scheme (five Mahagram villages) | 744.5 |
| Warehousing proposal | 290.7 (₹276.20 crore NABARD assistance proposed) |
| HAREDA solarisation proposal | 423 (proposed NABARD assistance) |
What this means for residents
If approved and implemented on schedule, the package aims to strengthen rural irrigation, improve access to drinking water for selected villages in Nuh and Palwal, expand rural road connectivity and increase storage capacity for agricultural produce — measures that could reduce post-harvest losses and improve water availability in floodplain and low-lying areas.
Officials emphasised the need to align claim submissions with on-ground progress to avoid delays in NABARD disbursements. The gap of ₹962.8 crore in pending disbursements underlines execution challenges that the state administration has been asked to remedy.
State departments will now finalise technical approvals and push for finance department clearances where required to ensure centralised NABARD funding can be released and utilised during 2026-27.
