BHUBANESWAR: The State government proposal for the inclusion of three irrigation projects under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) has not been considered by the Centre. The State had requested the Ministry of Jal Shakti to provide financial assistance to Rengali irrigation project (right bank canal system), Deo irrigation project and Lower Suktel irrigation project under AIBP.
In response to a letter from Member of Parliament from Bargarh Suresh Pujari, Union Minister of State for Jal Shati Bishweswar Tudu said the three projects are not in readiness for inclusion under AIBP as per the norms of the scheme. The present scheme of AIBP under PMKSY, which was originally approved till December 2019, was extended till March 2021. However, financial assistance under the same is restricted to only the identified 99 projects. It does not have provision for inclusion of any new project for funding, the Minister said.
Stating that the Centre has released Rs 1,208.86 crore for eight projects of Odisha out of the 99 identified projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) in the last five years. He said five projects covered under AIBP have been completed. The Lower Indra involving a cost of Rs 1,595.35 crore, Upper Indravati with a cost of Rs 544.58 crore, Telengiri costing Rs 932.96 crore, Ret Rs 707.64 crore and Rukura irrigation project with an expenditure of Rs 240.22 crore have been completed.
Three AIBP projects - Kanupur with a project cost of Rs 2,301.88 crore, Integrated Anandapur Barrage Rs 2,864.36 crore and Subarnarekha involving a cost of Rs 4,455.68 crore are under construction. While Subarnarekha project is nearing completion, the physical progress of Kanupur project is 81 per cent and Anandpur barrage is 66 per cent.
The right bank canal system of the Rengali multi-purpose irrigation project is languishing for more than four decades due to a host of factors including land acquisition and funding problems. Since the launch of AIBP in 1995-96, a total of 297 major and medium irrigation projects have been taken up for financial assistance under it, including the 99 prioritised projects taken up in mission mode under PMKSY-AIBP in 2016-17.