Rs. 31,202.5614 crore released for 257Major & Medium Irrigation Projects

Press Information Bureau,31st December, 2008
36 PROJECTS OF PM’S RELIEF PACKAGE FOR AGRARIAN DISTRESS DISTRICTS PROVIDED GRANTS UNDER AIBP

257 major and medium irrigation projects have been included under AIBP since its inception till 15th December 2008 for which total central assistance in the form of Loan/Grant amounting to Rs. 31,202.5614 crore has been released. The grant released during 2008-09 is Rs. 4017.0004 crore so far. This also includes Central Assistance of Rs. 401.9 crore released to North Eastern States. Out of the 257 projects included so far under AIBP, a total of 100 projects have been completed till date. Of the ultimate irrigation potential of 109.21 lakh ha envisaged under AIBP assisted major and medium projects, irrigation potential created up to March 2008 is 49.32 lakh ha which is about 45% of the ultimate potential of these projects. During 2007-08, irrigation potential created under AIBP from major/medium/minor irrigation projects/schemes was 6.50 lakh ha against targeted potential of 15 lakh ha. 8999 Surface Water minor irrigation schemes were provided assistance under AIBP of which 5535 schemes have been completed till 15th December’08. The ultimate irrigation potential of minor irrigation schemes included in AIBP was 8.262 lakh ha of which irrigation potential of 3.158 lakh ha has been created up to March 2008. The performance of completion of projects under AIBP has been consistently improving during last several years. So far, 36 projects of the 65 projects of the Prime Minister’s Relief Package for agrarian distress districts in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have been provided Central Assistance under AIBP. The grant released to PM Package projects during 2007-08 is Rs.1415.425 crore and for 2008-09, the grant released till 15th December 2008 is Rs.1163.926 crore. Under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), the Centre is providing central assistance to the irrigation projects as an incentive to the States for creating irrigation infrastructure in the country. The AIBP is also meeting the demands of the Bharat Nirman programme under which a major thrust is on irrigation. The projects included in the Prime Minister’s relief package for agrarian distressed districts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra are also receiving financial assistance under the programme. The AIBP was conceived in the year 1996 in order to provide financial assistance to States to complete various ongoing irrigation projects in the country so that creation of envisaged irrigation potential of the project could be accelerated. The terms of the programme have been widened and liberalized over time. As on date, major, medium and Extension, Renovation and Modernization (ERM) projects are eligible for Central Assistance under AIBP. The surface water minor irrigation schemes of Special Category States as well as schemes in drought prone and tribal area in Non-Special Category States are also eligible for Central Assistance under AIBP. The Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) was launched during 1996-97 to give loan assistance to the states to help them complete some of the incomplete major/medium irrigation projects, which were in an advanced stage of completion and create additional irrigation potential in the country. The surface minor irrigation Schemes of North-Eastern states, Hilly States of Sikkim, Uttaranchal, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi (KBK) districts of Orissa have also been provided Central Loan Assistance (CLA) under this programme since 1999-2000. Grant component has been introduced in the programme from April 2004 like other Central sector schemes. As per the existing AIBP criteria effective from December 2006, grant equal to 25 per cent of the project cost for major and medium irrigation projects in non-special category states and 90 per cent grant of the project cost for major/medium/minor irrigation projects in special category states (including Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa) are provided to the selected projects. The minor irrigation schemes of non-special category states falling in drought prone/tribal areas are treated at par with special category states and are released 90 per cent of the project cost. Major and medium projects providing irrigation benefits to drought prone/tribal/flood prone areas are eligible for upto 90 per cent of the project cost.