Irrigation In Additional 10 Lakh Ha By March Next Year: CM

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the target set by the Odisha government in 2014 to create irrigation facility in additional 10 lakh hectares of land would be completed by March next year.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the Rukura Irrigation Project at Bonai during his one-day visit to Sundargarh district, he said that the development of irrigation infrastructure remains the top-most important priority of the state government.

Stating that the budget allocation for the irrigation sector, which was Rs 850 crore in 2000, has gone up to Rs 10,200 crore in 2017-18 fiscal, the chief minister said the state government would invest Rs 75,000 crore in the next five years.

He said the Rukura Irrigation project built at a cost of Rs 300 crore would provide irrigation facility in the additional 5800 hectares of land.

He also promised that his government would provide houses to all poor families in the mining areas of Koida, Gurundia and Lahunipada in the district under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana.

Maintaining that the state government is committed to the welfare of the poor and the farmers, he said that several welfare schemes have been undertaken for the welfare of the Kendu left pluckers. “Apart from this, efforts are on to ensure that the farmers of the state would get the actual return of their produce,” he added.