CUTTACK: The State Government has sanctioned `1.6 crore during the current financial year for repair of defunct Lift Irrigation (LI) points at different localities of Cuttack. The blocks include Cuttack Sadar, Niali, Kantapada and Mahanga.
After necessary administrative approval, work for repair of the defunct LI points will start soon, informed Assistant Executive Engineer, Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra of Cuttack LI Division.
As per reports, in the last Zilla Parishad (ZP) meeting, many ZP members who had alleged that farmers in large numbers in their localities could not cultivate vegetables and other profit-making crops as LI points were lying defunct since long, had created ruckus in the meeting demanding repair and rerunning of the defunct LI points.
Legislators Ranendra Pratap Swain and Prabhat Tripathy who had assured to take steps in this regard had drawn the attention of Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation Limited in Water Resources Department for redressal of grievance of the ZP members following which the corporation had initiated steps for repair of 14 defunct LI points in the first phase during 2018-2019 financial year.
A
fter the sanction of funds, the Cuttack LI Division also began tender process for repair of defunct LI points at Sithalo, Silada, Shasanpada, Jalarpur, Lunia, Gunupur, Haribhaktapur, Nandakishorepur, Gopalpur, Kuhunda, Benipur and Sripura villages.