The Centre will be giving the state Rs 35,000 crore in the next three years to complete 26 important irrigation projects, including those in 14 suicide-prone districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada.
The Centre will be giving the state Rs 35,000 crore in the next three years to complete 26 important irrigation projects, including those in 14 suicide-prone districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada.
On Tuesday, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Union water resources minister Uma Bharti and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met in Mumbai to discuss the state’s water issues and review the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
Ms Bharti has expressed unhappiness over the meagre amount of land being irrigated in the state and hoped that initiatives taken by the BJP government would help. The minister also agreed to take up the projects of 14 suicide-prone districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada as special ones. They are worth Rs 7,188 crore.
“Madhya Pradesh has increased its agriculture production by increasing its irrigation sector. Maharashtra can bring 126 lakh hectares of land under irrigation, against the present 48 lakh hectares. Maharashtra’s role in irrigation is quite bad, which has been leading to farmer suicides and the Latur water crunch. However, we have initiated some good work in the sector,” Ms Bharti told the media after the meeting.
She agreed in principle to complete 26 Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) projects in the state under the PMKSY in a 60:40 ratio. The projects will need Rs 19,000 crore. She also promised to take up 67 drought-prone area projects and the Tapi Mega Recharge Project on a priority basis.
Mr Gadkari, who has been taking keen interest in irrigation projects, said that the Centre would be giving Rs 35,000 crore in three years for them. “We are also aiming to complete the Gosikhurd project in the three years’ time,” he added. The Gosikhurd project will be given Rs 6,000 crore.
The chief minister said that the government was going to provide Rs 2,000 crore to projects in rain-shadow tehsils. Also, there are small 132 projects, 98 of which are in Vidarbha and will be given Rs 4,098 crore and 34 in are Marathwada for which Rs 3,090 crore has been allotted.
