Centre pumps Rs 77595-cr for completion of 99 irrigation projects
29 December, New Delhi
In order to complete 99 identified irrigation projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP) before time, which remained incomplete due to insufficient funds, the Centre has approved adequate funds of Rs 77,595-crore and has set a roadmap for the same.
Total funds required for completion of the projects have been estimated at Rs 77595-crore (Rs 48546-crore for project works and Rs 29049-crore for CAD works) with estimated CA of Rs 31342-crore. Out of these, Rs 3274-crore has been issued by NABARD for Irrigation projects under the PMKSY and AIBP Projects.
NABARD has issued Rs 1981-crore to Andhra Pradesh for Polavaram irrigation project, Rs 830-crore to Maharashtra and Rs 463-crore to Gujarat as financial assistance for various irrigation projects. For this purpose, the Centre has charted out a roadmap for early completion of 99 identified projects under PMKSY-AIBP. Out of these 23 projects (Priority-I) have been identified to be completed by 2016-17 and another 31 projects (Priority-II) have been identified to be completed by 2017-18 and balance 45 projects (Priority-III) have been identified to be completed by December, 2019.
The Government said most of the projects remained incomplete due to inadequate provision of funds by the State Governments concerned. As a result, large amount of funds spent on these projects were locked up and the benefits envisaged at the time of formulation of the projects could not be achieved.
Of the 99 AIBP projects, maximum number of 26 projects are in Maharashtra, eight in Andhra Pradesh and one in Gujarat. In Andhra Pradesh all the eight projects are in PriorityII category. The projects are Gundlakamma, Tadipudi LIS, Thotapally, Tarakaram Teerta Sagaram, Musurumilli, Pushkara LIS, Yerracalva and Maddigedda. The lone project in Gujarat is Sardar Sarovar which is in priority-III category. The projects are likely to be completed by 2018 and its target irrigation potential is 1792 thousand hectare.