Patiala, Oct 25 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the state's first dedicated sports university along with various developmental projects in his hometown Patiala.

The projects, launched virtually at two separate events, include surface water-based water supply project for Patiala city (Rs 503 crore), development of a heritage street near Qila Mubarak (Rs 43 crore), new bus stand (Rs 65 crore) and widening of the roads (Rs 6.74 crore).

The Chief Minister also handed over keys to few selected beneficiaries of the EWS housing scheme at Haji Majra. Of the 174 flats constructed there, 124 have been allotted.

The Chief Minister extended Dussehra greetings to the people of Patiala and urged them to take all precautions amid projections of a second coronavirus spike in November-December.

The Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Sports University will be constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore, of which Rs 60 crore will be invested in the initial phase for the development of academic and administrative blocks and hostels.

The Chief Minister recalled the contribution of his grandfather Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, in whose memory the university has been named, and whose 129th birth anniversary falls on Sunday, coinciding with Dussehra.

The university, will help in scientific development of sportspersons, Amarinder Singh said, adding he wanted to see Punjab develop as a sports hub and its sportsmen and coaches equipped with scientific knowledge.

He thanked the panchayat and people of Sidhuwal, who had given land free of cost for the sports university.

They had earlier donated land for the law university and have now also offered another piece of land for any other developmental project, said the Chief Minister, announcing a grant of Rs 50 lakh for Sidhuwal, which has developed itself as a model village.

Amarinder Singh expressed the hope that staff and students will be able to move into the upcoming campus by 2022.

They will benefit immensely from the university's multiple courses, many of which are based on those from UK's Loughborough University, whose Vice Chancellor Lord Sebastian's video message was telecast at the foundation stone-laying event.

He assured that despite Covid-19 problems, his government would provide more funds to the university for the speedy completion of its works.