Dharamshala, Aug. 10 -- The long-awaited Phina Singh irrigation project in Himachal's Kangra district is expected to be completed soon and the Centre has released Rs.60.26 crore, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Sunday.

The project, being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.643 crore, has remained pending for several years. Agnihotri said the state government had already spent around Rs.300 crore from its own resources on the project.

He said the fresh central funding followed sustained efforts by the state government and a series of meetings with the Centre. The release of the funds would help accelerate construction and facilitate early completion of the project, he added.

The project has been stalled for over a deca...