The central government's Rs 1,000-crore irrigation scheme aims at bringing irrigation water to every village by converging ongoing schemes being implemented by various ministries.
Under the project, a dynamic annual fund allocation methodology, which mandates states to allot more funds to irrigation sectors for becoming eligible to access funds under this scheme, is also being considered.
"A number of central schemes are currently operational to augment irrigation coverage in the country. However, the desired goal of bringing irrigation water to every village farm is still far from reality, primarily due to fragmented approach followed by existing schemes," said a concept paper on the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
PMKSY has been envisaged to connect the irrigation system's three crucial components -- water sources, distribution network and field applications -- for optimal usage, the paper, prepared by the Agriculture Ministry, said.
The new irrigation scheme assumes importance as 65 per cent of the total 142 million hectares of farm land in the country are still not covered under irrigation.
The PMKSY intends to focus on 'end-to-end solution' in irrigation supply chain by implementing the new programme in a "project mode" with decentralised state-level planning and execution.
"Instead of conventional top-down approach, the programme will provide requisite flexibility to state government's in planning and executing the irrigation projects," it said.
The Agriculture Ministry said in the note that the PMKSY projects would be scrutinised by the State Level Project Screening Committee (SLPSC) and sanctioned by the State Level Sanctioning Committee, already set under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
The state agriculture department would be the nodal agency for implementation of PMKSY projects, while there would also be an inter-ministerial National Steering Committee (NSC) for periodic review of the same.
On PMKSY funds allocation, the Ministry said in the note that "a state will become eligible to access PMKSY funds only if it has prepared the district irrigation plans and state irrigation plans and sustained an increasing expenditure trend in irrigation sector in state plan."
PMKSY funds would be given to states as 75 per cent grant by the central government and the remaining 25 per cent share is to be borne by the state government. For northeastern region and hilly states, the funding pattern would be 90:10.
