Bhubaneswar, Sep 08 (UNI) Considering the popularity of Parvati Giri Mega lift irrigation projects in the highland areas, the Odisha government will spend Rs 10,000 crores in next five years to provide more benefit to the farmers, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here today.
Inaugurating 41 mega irrigation projects built under the Parvati Giri Mega lift Irrigation Project at a cost of Rs 1,172 crore through a video conference from the state secretariat, Mr Patnaik said irrigation, a major factor in the agriculture, has always been a priority of his government.
These projects, he said, would provide irrigation to 50,000 hectares of land to benefit farmers of 392 villages in 51 Gram Panchayats of 14 blocks spread over nine districts.
Mr Patnaik said he had promised to provide irrigation facilities to additional 10 lakh hectares of land by 2019. So far 7 lakh hectares of land had already been covered under irrigation and the rest three lakh more hectares of land would be brought under irrigation soon.
The Water Resources Department has conceptualized the Mega Irrigation project in 2011-12 and named it after eminent freedom fighter and social activist Parvati Giri but the work for the projects started in 2015.
Originally a decision was taken to take up 171 projects in 15 clusters at a cost of Rs 6225 crore to provide irrigation facilities to 2,34,058 hectares of land but later the number of projects was increased to 199.
Out of 171 projects while five projects were inaugurated earlier , the chief minister inaugurated 41 projects today.
Water Resources Department Secretary Pradeep Jena said a target has been fixed to complete 80 more projects by the end of March next year and provide irrigation facilities to 99,860 hectares of crop land.
This apart, the tender process is on for 28 new irrigation projects to provide irrigation facilities to additional 42,018 hectares of land during the current financial year.
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