Mumbai: India’s central government will give top priority to pending irrigation projects in drought-hit and suicide-prone regions of Maharashtra, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti has said.
Bharti, along with Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, held a review meeting of the state’s projects under the Prime Minister’s Agri-Irrigation Mission (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana) and ongoing projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme on Tuesday at the Sahyadri State Guest House in the city with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The Centre has indicated that it will give Rs 220-300 billion Dh12 billion-Dh16 billion) over the next three years to complete the ongoing projects.
The Centre is particularly keen to provide funds to complete small and medium irrigation projects in drought affected areas of Vidarbha and Marathwada, said Gadkari.
He said a proposal will be brought before the Union Cabinet soon. The Prime Minister’s agricultural mission is aimed at accelerating irrigation potential in the country. “Maharashtra is a major focus state, as it has a lot of irrigational potential which has not yet been realized.”
Fadnavis tweeted that Bharti had agreed to take up 132 projects of 14 suicide-prone districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada as special projects worth Rs 72 billion, of which 98 are from Vidarbha (Rs 40.98 billion) and 34 from Marathwada (Rs 30.90 billion). The chief minister also said that a special joint team from the Centre and state will be set up to prepare a future plan for Gosikhurd project and a report will be submitted within 15 days.
Maharashtra has shortlisted 26 national irrigation projects under the PMKSY. Fadnavis requested the Centre to consider a special package for the state in the wake of four consecutive years of drought. The state government has also highlighted the urgency to increase the irrigation potential in the state, which is currently only 18 percent.
