Monday, Apr 11, 2005
Monday, Apr 11, 2005 |
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By Ashok Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, APRIL 10. The Centre is likely to launch a new mega irrigation scheme shortly for speedy completion of nine major ongoing irrigation projects by tapping funds through the `special purpose vehicle' (SPV) route, which was announced in the 2005-06 budget for financing infrastructure development. With the United Progressive Alliance Government determined to prop up the growth rate in agriculture to at least four per cent in the remaining two years of the Tenth Plan, the Planning Commission has brought into sharp focus the priority areas that would require immediate attention and resources as an enabling mechanism for achieving the cherished goal in the farm sector. In its Mid-term Appraisal of the Tenth Plan, the Commission made out a case for considering Central support for the new irrigation scheme aimed at completing the nine projects, each having a potential to irrigate more than one lakh hectares. The nine approved projects, which have been languishing on account of resource constraints, are the Teesta Barrage Stage-I (Phase-I) in West Bengal, Indira Gandhi Nehar Stage-II (Rajasthan), Western Kosi (Bihar), Shahpur Kandi (Punjab), Sardar Sarovar (Gujarat), Indira Sagar (Madhya Pradesh). Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Upper Krishna Stage-II (Karnataka) and Gosikhurd (Maharashtra). Completion of these projects at a cost of Rs. 27,700 crores is expected to add a potential of irrigating 33 lakh hectares. The Planning Commission has argued that since the States are facing a funds crunch, timely completion of these projects is unlikely unless some additional resources are provided. Pitching for the SPV route, the Commission has noted that although ``irrigation projects may not be financially viable on a stand-alone basis in the conventional sense because of low water charges, but as long as their economic returns are high and the loans are guaranteed by the State Government, the financing problem can be resolved.''
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