Seeking to enhance the irrigation capacities of states, the Centre today approved continuation of a 17-year-old irrigation scheme into the 12th Five Year plan.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave its approval for continuation of the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) with a total outlay of Rs 55,200 crore.
It is expected that states would create an additional irrigation potential of 8.7 million hectare from the programme.
The CCEA also approved two related schemes -- National Projects and Command Area Development and Water Management -- during the 12th Plan with a total outlay of Rs 15,000 crore.
This would help in creating irrigation potential of 7.6 million hectares.
While approving the continuation of the schemes, the CCEA gave its nod to policy changes of the three schemes.
Now the area of coverage of minor irrigation schemes has will be modified as 10 hectares for individual and 20 hectares for cluster of schemes in hilly areas.
Also, the Desert Development Programme (DDP) area and Desert Prone Area Programme will be treated on a par with those benefiting Drought-prone Area Programme (DPAP) areas as far as central assistance under AIBP scheme is concerned.
On June 21, the CCEA had deferred a decision on the Water Resources Ministry proposal amid divergent views.
The AIBP was conceived in 1996 by the Centre in order to provide financial assistance to states to complete various ongoing projects in the country so that envisaged irrigation potential of the project could be created and thereby extend irrigation to more areas.
Various states have failed to utilise nearly 15 million hectares of irrigation potential created by the end of the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07).
The CCEA had then decided that the proposal needed further consultations among the Water Resources Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission.
The Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission were of the opinion that despite large sums being granted for the programme, little has been achieved.
