The Centre has decided to include two major irrigation projects in Uttar Pradesh — the Sarayu canal Pariyojana and restoring capacity of Sharda Sahayak Project — in the scheme of national projects. An official spokesperson has said that the total Central contribution for these two projects had been worked out to more than Rs 3,000 crore.AIR Lucknow correspondent reports that under the scheme of national projects, both the irrigation projects would become eligible for 90 per cent funding from the Centre. The Sarayu Pariyojana, being executed by the State Government since 1977-78, could not be completed because of lack of funds. The project, when completed, would provide an irrigation benefit to 14.04 lakh hectares in the districts of Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Siddharth Nagar and Gorakhpur. The project is scheduled to be completed by March, 2016.