All India Kisan Sabha vice-president and honorary advisor to the Co-ordination Committee of Irrigation Associations of Krishna and Godavari Deltas Kolli Nageswara Rao has demanded that the state government credit the share of water cess of Water Users Associations (WUAs) into their bank accounts.
Speaking to media at the Press Club here on Monday, Rao said a memorandum in this regard was already submitted to principal secretary of irrigation Ajayendra Pal on July 6. Farmers are paying a water cess of Rs 200 per acre for the maintenance of irrigation canals as per the Act enacted by the state government in 1997.
The government has to pay 50 per cent of the cess towards the share of WUAs. It should also provide 10 per cent additional amount to the WUAs towards canal maintenance and repair works. But the government has not paying the share of WUAs for the past six years. Due to lack of funds, the WUAs are not able to take up maintenance of irrigation canals. Consequently, farmers of the tail-end lands are not getting adequate water, he said.