BANGALORE: The State Government has sought a loan of Rs. 448 crore from the Centre to complete irrigation projects that have been pending completion for long.

To expedite works on medium and major irrigation projects, the Water Resources department has sought loan from the Union Government under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) in the current financial year.

The State has to complete major and medium irrigation projects for utilisation of 734 tmc. ft. of Krishna waters allotted under the "A" scheme of the Bachawat Award. At present, it utilises about 600 tmc.ft. of water. Of the 734 tmc.ft., the State has been providing five tmc.ft. of water to Tamil Nadu for drinking water purpose.

Work on these projects has reached various stages. To speed up works on six major and medium irrigation projects, the Water Resources department recently submitted a Rs. 448-crore proposal to the Central Water Commission (CWC), which in turn, handed it over to the Planning Commission and the Union Finance Department to fix the loan amount for the State.

A sum of Rs. 63 crore has been sought for Upper Krishna Project Stage I, Phase III; Rs. 170 crore for UKP Stage II in Gulbarga, Raichur and Bijapur districts; Rs. 40 crore for Malaprabha in Belgaum district; Rs. 91.27 crore for Ghataprabha project in Belgaum district; Rs. 33.33 crore for Gandorinala in Gulbarga district; and Rs. 50 crore for Varahi Phase I in Udupi district, officials told The Hindu.

Suicide cases

In view of a large number of suicide cases by farmers in Belgaum, Hassan, Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Kodagu and Chitradurga districts, the Government has submitted a proposal for Rs. 2868.85-crore package to the Centre to complete major and medium irrigation works and provide irrigation facilities to farmers.

The State has received Rs. 254.5 crore in 2005-06 under the irrigation benefits programme. The Centre released Rs. 1,954.22 crore to the State between 1996-97 and 2003-04. Owing to delay in execution of works, the spillover cost of the projects were estimated at Rs. 10,018 crore at the end of the 10th Five Year Plan. The Central Loan Assistance (CLA) under AIBP is being provided under Normal Track and Fast Track clearances. The Union Ministry of Water Resources launched the fast track programme on February 1, 2002. Under this, the projects will be fully funded by the Centre by providing cent per cent loan.

Only approved major and medium irrigation projects, which could be completed in a span of one year (two working seasons), will be included under the programme. The establishment expenditure of the projects have to be borne by the State.

Normal track programme

As many as five irrigation projects — UKP Stage I, Phase III, UKP Stage II, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha and Gandorinala — received funds under the normal track programme while Maskinala, Hirehalla and Karanja projects had received funds under the fast track programme.

The projects covered under AIBP are monitored by the CWC. The release of subsequent instalments is also based on the CWC's reports on the projects.

The Centre launched the AIBP during 1996-97 for expeditious completion of ongoing projects, which were beyond the resource capability of the States. Funds under the AIBP were given in the form of loan at the rate of interest prescribed by the Ministry of Finance from time to time.

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