CENTRAL ASSISTANCE TO IRRIGATION PROJECT

The Government of India Press Release, 4th March, 2008

14:53 IST

RAJYA SABHA

Central Government has decided to provide 90% grant of the project cost to the projects included in Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) of the following categories

(i) Major and medium projects benefiting drought prone/tribal./flood prone areas.
(ii) Major/medium projects and surface water Minor Irrigation schmes in the special category States and Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa State.
(iii) Surface water minor irrigation schemes in non special category States benefiting drought prone/tribal areas.

Projects included in AIBP and falling in above categories are eligible for 90% grant under AIBP. New projects which could be included in AIBP as per guidelines of the programme and falling in above category are also eligible for 90% grant.

In addition, the projects selected as National Projects as per following criteria are also eligible for 90% grant of project cost of irrigation and drinking water components subject to working out the mode of financing in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission:

(i) International projects where usage of water in India is required by a treaty or where planning and early completion of the project is necessary in the interest of the country.
(ii) Inter-State projects which are dragging on due to non-resolution of inter-State issues relating to sharing of costs, rehabilitation, aspects of power production etc., including river interlinking projects.
(iii) Intra-state projects with additional potential of more than 2,00,000 ha. and with no dispute regarding sharing of water and where hydrology is established.

Any project which is having investment clearance of the Planning Commission irrespective of river/river basin could be included in the AIBP as per guidelines of the Programme in force. The outlay for 11th Plan for AIBP is of Rs.39850 crore.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in response to a question by Shri C.Ramachandraiah in the Rajya Sabha today.