The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Lift schemes to cater to ID crops only, says YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Lift schemes to cater to ID crops only, says YSR

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 11. Changes are in offing for lift irrigation (LI) schemes in line with the present polices of the Government. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has asked officials not to allow paddy under lift schemes as a standard rule and instead, limit the benefit to irrigated dry (ID) crops, which may require only one wetting. Going round an exhibition on lift schemes after performing the bhoomi puja for the construction of building complex for the Andhra Pradesh State Irrigation Development Corporation at Banjara Hills on Saturday, he asked the corporation MD, A. K. Jain, and other officials against allowing wet crops under the scheme since they would require three to four wettings, which would put a strain on the lift schemes.

A status paper on lift irrigation schemes circulated at the function also stipulated that all the 1,320 schemes constructed by the corporation should be handed over to beneficiaries' committees for maintenance.

Free power

These schemes would allow free power to farmers, as the corporation would pay the bills to Transco from its own budget. These schemes have been constructed at a cost of Rs. 384 crores to irrigate 5.1-lakh acres. As many as 573 schemes, handed over to farmers had become defunct. The paper said that the Government had approved their immediate revival at a cost of Rs. 37 crores. Another proposal has been put before the Government for revival of 198 other LI schemes with an outlay of Rs. 8.5 crores.

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Andhra Pradesh