Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Mumbai
The Devendra Fadnavis government is looking to replicate the efforts of the Madhya Pradesh government in the field of irrigation.
Under former CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP had made huge investments in irrigation projects that helped shore up agricultural incomes in the state.
Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari hinted at this development in Nagpur on Thursday when he told reporters that the new government at the Centre would speed up the completion of 107 pending irrigation projects.
In addition, 26 new projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana have been proposed in the state.
The Fadnavis government wants the Centre to release about Rs 36,000 crore in the coming months for these projects, according to state government sources.
With most of Maharashtra reeling under drought the state BJP unit is planning to showcase these projects ahead of the Assembly elections in October, party sources said.
Recently, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan had said, “Maharashtra has just about 18 per cent of its agricultural land under irrigation. This will go up to 40 per cent in the next two years.”
However, so far only Rs 2,500 crore had been released by the Arun Jaitley-led Union Finance Ministry as against the Rs 10,000 crore earmarked for these projects, sources said.
The Maharashtra government is expecting the new Finance Minister to speed up the allocation of funds for irrigation projects.
Most of these projects are located in the state’s drought-prone talukas, according to officials.
According to state officials, there were 359 incomplete irrigation projects in the state as of last year.
