Irrigation given less as funds go unspent

Hyderabad: "The State government has enough funds and best plans, but the problems are arising in execution of various irrigation projects," said P Sudarshan Reddy, Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation. The irrigation department did not spend Rs 6,000 crore out of Rs 15,010 crore allocated in 2012-13. Hence, the government took a pragmatic view in 2013-14 Budget and allocated Rs 13,804 crore for various irrigation projects, which is Rs 1206 crore less than previous budget. The total value of the Projects grounded under Jala Yagnam is Rs.1.26 lakh crores, out of which an amount of Rs.67,802 crores has been spent so far. During the year 2012-13 about Rs.7,257 crores has been spent up to January, 2013. "The irrigation department worked so ineffectively and did not spend the allocated funds in 2012-13", said an official in finance department.A Saying that the government was giving high priority to the irrigation, Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, in his Budget speech, said that the ambitious Jalayagnam programme of the government implemented since 2004-05 is to bring vast tracts of land under irrigation and stabilize the existing ayacut in the State." The government is making all out efforts to obtain national project status for two major projects Indira Sagar Polavaram and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahitha Chevella. The estimated cost of Indira Sagar Polavaram Project is Rs.16,010.43 crores and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahitha Chevella Project is Rs.38,500 crores" He said that Centre will provide 90% of the cost of the above 2 projects once they are given national project status. I am confident that we will succeed in our attempts during this year, he said. "Out of 82 projects so far grounded, 16 projects have been completed fully creating an ayacut of 4.25 lakh acres, 21 projects have been partially completed and water released creating irrigation potential of 15.99 lakh acres. The total irrigation potential created so far under Jalayagnam is 21.435 lakh acres", he said.