Government releases funds for prioritised irrigation plans

The Union Water Ministry has released financial assistance of Rs 246.9 crore for the nine prioritised projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) works.

These projects are among the 99 ongoing prioritised irrigation projects that were languishing mainly due to inadequate provision of funds.

In a statement, the ministry said it had also released Rs 487.8 crore for 17 projects under the Command Area Development (CAD) works. The CAD programme aims to narrow the gap between the irrigation potential created and actual utilisation.

The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), launched by the Narendra Modi government, subsumes previous schemes such as the AIBP and several other projects launched to repair and restore water bodies.

In August last year, the government had approved raising Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) by Rs 9,020 crore for the Long Term Irrigation Fund for year 2018-19, which seeks to make loans from the NABARD attractive for states to complete these projects.

In addition, Rs 436 crore was released under the PMKSY -- Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) for Surface Minor Irrigation, and Repair, Renovation and Restoration schemes for various states, it said.

--IANS

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