‘Irrigation sector backlog in Vidarbha’s 4 dist. require Rs 15,488 cr for removal’: Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil :Nagpur:Though Vidarbha region’s financial backlog came to an end some years ago, the physical backlog of four districts in Amravati division is yet to be over. This backlog exists in irrigation sector. Currently, the backlog is pegged at 1,63,139 hectares and it will require Rs 15,488.04 crore for removal, said Chainsukh Sancheti, Chairman of Vidarbha Development Board (VDB). Addressing a press conference at VDB on Thursday, after the board meeting, Sancheti said that the backlog removal programme for the four districts of Amravati division was prepared in the year 2012 as per the Maharashtra Governor’s directions. These four districts include Amravati, Akola, Washim, and Buldhana.

The programme included 102 irrigation projects. Of these, 54 have been completed. Of these 54 projects also, 40 have been completed after June 2014. At present, work of 27 other projects is partially over. At the end of June 2019, total irrigation potential (Rabi equivalent) created was 15,624 hectares and water storage of 73.99 million cubic metres was built in the completed projects, he said.

According to Sancheti, during June 2012 and June 2019, 70,880 hectares of backlog in irrigation sector in case of these four disricts was removed. Of this, backlog of 60,819 hectares was removed after June 2014. At present, he told mediapersons, the balance physical backlog is 1,63,139 hectares. As per the initial estimated, the removal of the said backlog required Rs 10,585 crore. Now, he added, the estimated requirement of funds for backlog removal is Rs 15,488.04 crore. In 2019-20, an allocation of Rs 1,894 crore was proposed along with supplementary provision for the four backlog districts of Amravati division. Clubbed with unspent amount of Rs 301.13 crore in 2018-19, the total funds available for the backlog districts in 2019-20 was pegged at Rs 2,195.05 crore.

Till December 2019, an amount of Rs 775.80 crore has been spent, Sancheti said in reply to a question. The backlog of the four districts will be removed by the year 2022-23. To ensure completion of the irrigation projects, VDB is making efforts to raise funds through Centrally-sponsored schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana (BJSY). Under PMKSY, 75 per cent funding comes from NABARD and 25 from the Centre. “Usually, NABARD reimburses expenses incurred on projects. Now, VDB will be requesting the Governor to ask NABARD to give funds straight to Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation to expedite completion of projects,” said Sancheti. Replying to a question, the VDB Chairman said that VDB would get extension. VDB’s previous extension is coming to an end in April 2020. “VDB has been there, and will be there,” he said. Hemant Kumar, Member Secretary of VDB; Dr Kishor Moghe, Expert Member; Prakash Dayare, Joint Director and other officials were present on the occasion. Sancheti asks district officials to utilise special funds by Mar 31 Chainsukh Sancheti, Chairman of VDB, presided over a meeting of the board on Thursday. After taking stock of the situation, he asked the officials at district level to ensure that special fund was utilised by March 31 this year. VDB got a special fund of Rs 50 crore in July 2019. The fund is supposed to be utilised in the area that has 60 tehsils and 18 Class ‘C’ municipal councils in Vidarbha. The fund is to be utilised on raising human development index (HDI), particularly with initiatives relating to education, health, and livelihood/employment opportunities. In the first phase, proposals worth Rs 46.5 crore were cleared, and in the second phase proposals worth Rs 3.50 crore were given nod. Sancheti told mediapersons that VDB received proposals from the District Collectors and then approved the same. These approved proposals were sent to the Divisional Commissioners concerned (Nagpur and Amravati), who then forwarded the same to Human Development Commissioner. After nod of Human Development Commissioner, now the process of technical sanction, administrative sanction, and tendering is on in respective districts. “We have asked the respective district administration to ensure that the special fund is utilised by March 31,” he said. Asked if it was possible to utilise the fund by March-end if the tender process started in February, Sancheti said that VDB had called the meeting of District Planning Officers precisely to guide them in this regard. The only issue is in Yavatmal district where Model Code of Conduct was in force for State Legislative Council elections. Hence, he added, VDB has urged the Governor to direct the State Government to allow VDB to utilise the fund in the next financial year in case of Yavatmal district. Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur; Hemant Kumar, Member Secretary of VDB; Dr Kishor Moghe, Expert Member; Prakash Dayare, Joint Director and others attended the meeting.