Irrigated area in Maharashtra to increase by 21% next year, says Nitin Gadkari

Union minister and senior BJP leader says Centre has given Rs76,972 crore for incomplete irrigation projects

The area under irrigation will increase to 40% by 2019 as the Centre has given Rs76,972 crore for the incomplete irrigation projects, said Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari.

Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari. (HT File Photo)

In 2014, the irrigated land was 18% when the Congress-led government was defeated in the Assembly elections, he said.

Of the 359 incomplete irrigation projects, 134 projects are being funded by the Centre.

When the BJP-led state government took charge in 2014, there were 357 projects under construction, of which, the state government has decided to complete the ones nearing completion in five years.

The required amount for the completion of the incomplete projects, was Rs84,000 crore against the annual outlay of Rs7,800 crore for them.

The Centre was requested to fund the projects in the drought-prone districts and 14 farmer suicide-prone districts. The Centre has agreed to fund the projects costing Rs76,972 crore with the expected irrigation potential of 17.77 lakh hectares.

“Part of the funding has been released. The central funding will help the Maharashtra government to create irrigation potential of 40% from 18-19% in 2014,” he said.

The previous Congress-led state government faced criticism for creating potential irrigation of just 0.1% by spending Rs72,000 crore in 10 years.