Jaipur, Oct. 2 -- Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday said the decades-long wait for Yamuna water in the Shekhawati region was nearing an end, as he laid the foundation stone for an artificial reservoir at Hansiyawas, a key component of the project to bring water to the region. Addressing a development works function in Fatehpur, Sharma said the Yamuna Water Project, estimated to cost more than Rs.34,000 crore, would bring drinking water from the Hathnikund barrage to Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu and adjoining areas through three pipelines. The Rs.800-crore artificial reservoir at Hansiyawas will be taken up soon, he said. The CM said water allocated to Rajasthan from the Upper Yamuna Basin projects, including Renuka, Lakhwar and Kishau dams, would also continue to flow during the non-monsoon period. He said several long-pending inter-state water agreements had been resolved under the BJP government, including those related to the Ramjal Setu Link Project, Yamuna water, Narmada and the Kishau multipurpose project. Sharma said the state government had fulfilled 78% of the promises made in its election manifesto. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 1.5 million rural households have so far been provided tap-water connections, he said. On employment, Sharma said the government had committed to 400,000 government appointments, of which more than 189,000 had already been made. Recruitment for another 122,000 posts was under way, while a recruitment calendar had been issued for around 125,000 posts. He said the government was implementing integrated development plans for villages and wards, including setting up Atal Gyan Kendras to provide rural students access to e-libraries and online coaching. On welfare measures, Sharma said 382,000 houses had been constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, while construction of another 453,000 houses was under way. More than 1.8 million women in the state had become "Lakhpati Didis", he said. The state's contribution to Kisan Samman Nidhi had also been increased to Rs.9,000. Sharma said more than 660 heritage havelis in Jhunjhunu, Churu and Sikar were being supported for conservation under the Shekhawati Haveli Conservation Scheme, with the aim of boosting tourism and local employment. During the event, the CM inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 83 development works worth Rs.1,277 crore across Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts. These included six energy projects worth around Rs.296 crore, along with works related to health, medical education, school and Sanskrit education, public works, animal husbandry and minority affairs. Other projects included ITI building at Mandawa, district transport office building at Khetri, a basketball academy at Sikar district stadium and works under the Padihara-Loha rural drinking water supply scheme in Ratangarh....