The Bengal government has brought in an additional three lakh acre of agricultural land under its irrigation programme, with the objective of helping farmers for better cultivation at a time when they are facing hardships due to demonetisation of high value notes.
Rajib Banerjee, the state Irrigation minister said: "Around 12.43 lakh acre of land has been brought under the irrigation project and there will be no shortage of water supply for cultivation of Rabi and Boro crops. In the current fiscal, three lakh acres more has been brought under the irrigation programme."
Interestingly, a lakh of the newly-acquired three lakh acre isin the Jangalmahal area. This is the highest in the decade that 12.43 lakh acre land has been brought under the irrigation project.
Banerjee said that farmers are facing troubles due to demonetisation. Keeping the situation in mind, the step has been taken so that they do not have to worry about the requisite quantity of water for cultivation.
He further said that the World Bank has given its clearance for the project where the state government would carry out de-siltation of Lower Damodar river and its channels. Once completed, flood in parts of Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura and Burdwan districts will become a thing of the past. He said that the project will be carried out at a cost of Rs 2,786 crore.
The de-siltation of Damodar river has become a necessity over the past few years. As desilting has not been carried out in the last 60 years, flooding has become frequent in many districts including Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura and Burdwan.
Banerjee also criticised the Centre, saying that it is reducing its share of funds for different projects in the state. Earlier, the Centre-state expenditure ratio for a project used to be 75:25, respectively. But now, the state has to bear 50 percent of the project costs and in some cases the state provides 75 percent of the project cost, while the Centre gives only 25 per cent.