Project development won't hamper despite 30% cut in budgetary allocation to implement crop loan waiver scheme
The Maharashtra government has lined up Rs 57,400 crore to complete 225 pending irrigation projects in three years. These projects will be funded through various sources such as the state budgetary allocation, central assistance, loan from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and bonds to the state government.
The government aims to irrigate 7.5 lakh hectare of land in two years. The project development will be carried out notwithstanding the 30% cut in the budgetary allocation following government's announcement of Rs 34,000 crore crop loan waiver scheme.
State water resources minister Girish Mahajan told DNA, “There are 376 ongoing irrigation projects which will need Rs 84,000 crore for completion. Of these the government does not want to take up 49 projects costing Rs 26,600 crore due to the problems relating to the land acquisition and forest land clearances. Therefore, the government has firmed up plan to complete 225 projects in three years costing Rs 57,400 crore.”
Mahajan informed that of the Rs 57,400 crore the water resources department will get Rs 24,000 crore through budgetary allocation in three years (Rs 8,000 crore each year starting 2017-18), Rs 16,600 crore under the Prime Minister's Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (Rs 12,770 crore loan from NABARD and Rs 3,830 crore worth central assistance), Rs 2,000 crore loan from NABARD to state government and Rs 14,800 crore to be raised through bonds. He clarified that there won't be cut in the allocation of Rs 8,000 crore for the irrigation sector in the state budget.
This apart, the state government has sought the central assistance of Rs 7,187 crore for 107 projects to be completed in the 14 suicide prone districts. Mahajan said another Rs 3,500 crore have been sought as central assistance for 7 projects from drought prone area. He added that the government is continuously pursuing with the Centre for seeking funds.
Mahajan hoped that about 7.5 lakh hectare of land will be irrigated in two years with the government's push for the completion of pending projects.
The government's move to expedite project completion especially against the backdrop of slow pace of irrigation capacity addition especially following the expose of alleged multi crore irrigation scam during the previous Congress-NCP government and the ongoing inquiry being conducted by the Anti Corruption Bureau. However, the BJP led government has now revised the work policy and decided not to issue fresh tenders but undertake completion of long pending irrigation projects by organizing necessary funds.
Further, the minister said the government has approved direct purchase of land from the owner to reduce long duration required for the same and avoid legal problems. The land is given compensation at five times the rate given in the ready reckoner. ''In the past, average rate of Rs 5 lakh per hectare was given but now it has surged to Rs 20 lakh per hectare to the farmers,'' he noted.
According to Mahajan, the government has decided to provide water through closed pipeline instead of canal. ''There will be huge saving of water, which otherwise would have wasted in its distribution, and no land acquisition is needed for canal and distribution system,'' he said.
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 "Irrigation")
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