To avoid corruption and ensure judicious use of available water resources in the state, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday directed the water resource department officials to prepare an updated and latest statistics on irrigated land and complete the pending irrigation projects in the 14 districts where farmers have committed suicides.
Fadnavis held a review meeting of the water resources department at Mantralay which was attended by water resource minister Girish Mahajan, minister of state (MoS) Vijay Shivtare, chief secretary of the state Swadheen Kshatriya, the water resource department officials, planning department officials and presidents of various corporations of water resource department. Chief Minister cautioned the officials against presenting projected irrigation potential instead of giving the exact ground situation.
Fadnavis told the officials to give highest priority to the pending irrigation projects in 14 districts, including 8 from Marathwada and 6 from Vidarbha where farmers have committed suicides. He said: "These 14 districts are facing worst ever drought situation and the state government is providing rice and wheat at Rs2 and Rs3 per kilogram respectively in these districts. There is a need to provide irrigation facility to the farmers so that suicides are averted and these districts are made self-sufficient as far as water availability is concerned."
Fadnavis informed the meeting that as per the Cabinet decision the works for providing water through closed pipelines is to be started at war footing. He also directed the officials to work on war footing for completing the projects which can be completed in next three years so that additional irrigation potential is created. "The Centre would be providing money for completing the projects in these 14 districts and also for pending projects in other parts of the state," he informed.
The meeting also reviewed raising funds for the pending irrigation projects through loans and bonds.
