HYDERABAD: Is the state government showing step-motherly treatment to Jalayagnam? The answer is 'yes' if the budgetary allocation to irrigation projects in the past three years is any indication. The government has not increased the budget allocation for Jalayagnam from Rs 15,010 crore over the years despite the each project cost going up steeply.
Jalayagnam aims to create irrigation facility to over one crore acres of land and provide drinking water to about 2.5 crore people. As against Rs 1.85 lakh crore needed for completing 86 projects, the government has spent Rs 71,292 crore till now. But only 13 projects have been completed.
Unless the government provides more funds, it will be difficult to complete the remaining projects even in the next 10 years as the project estimations increase every year. But the government has not increased the allocations on the excuse that only Rs 8,450 crore of Rs 15,010 crore allocated this year was utilised by the department.