CM Raman asks for spl plans for Dists having less than 10 per cent irrigation

     Raipur, September 08, 2016: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh today asked his officials to prepare special working plans for the districts, which are facing low irrigation percentage.

       Prepare special working plans for the districts, where the irrigation percentage is less than ten per cent, the Chief Minister told a meeting on Prime Minister Irrigation Programme (Pradhan Mantri Sinchai Yojana).

     To increase the irrigation potential in Chhattisgarh the state government has constructed many anicuts and barrages in the last couple of years, Singh said.

     The ground water table has also been increased due to those barrages and anicuts, he said.

     The state government will distribute 50,000 solar energized irrigation pumps in the next three years to farmers, the Chief Minister said adding the pumps would be provided in a highly subsidised price.

    This year 10,000 pumps would be given away to the farmers where as 20,000 each would be distributed in the next two years to increase the irrigation percentage, he added.

      While presenting the budget the Chief Minister had stated that the current irrigation percentage of the state was about 35 per cent and with this year’s budget allocation of Rs 2564 crore it is expected that the irrigation percentage would increase by another 1.5 per cent.

      Union Water Resources Secretary Dr Amarjeet Singh said in the meeting Chhattisgarh should use more of its ground water for agriculture.

     Irrigation Minister Brij Mohan Agrawal, Chief Secretary Vivek Kumar Dhand and other officials also participated in the meeting.