In order to stabilise the already created irrigation potential, the Government on Wednesday decided to implement a Canal lining and System Rehabilitation Programme (ClSRP). The Cabinet has approved the ClSRP, to be launched this fiscal, for a period of five years with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore.
Briefing the media, Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra said that the new scheme would be funded from the plan outlay. However, possibility of getting Central assistance under National Water Mission and Climate Change Action Plan will be explored later, he said.
Mohapatra said the scheme was designed to cover around 3 lakh hectares aya cut in 22 canal systems in eight major projects, 19 medium projects and 214 minor irrigation projects.
The new scheme has been prepared, so that the benefit of flow irrigation could not be optimised as the main canal and distribution system are not capable of carrying design discharge because of huge loss of conveyance. In order to prevent the seepage loss in canals and to ensure better management facilities, it was decided to design new canals as line canals and to covert the existing canals into line canals in due course in a phased manner.
The objective is to increase water use efficiency by average of 10 per cent in the sub-projects covered, stabilisation of three lakh hectares of aya cut through improved service delivery in the whole system and to provide assured irrigation to partially irrigated and fully deprived aya cut. Besides, he said, it was targeted to reduce the gap between irrigation potential created and utilised in the sub-projects covered to the extent of 75,000 hectares. Similarly, reclamation of 5,000 hectares of aya cut now unsuitable for agriculture purpose due to water logging and salinity would also be taken care under the scheme, he said, adding, 13,000 hectares during the current Rabi season would be looked after. Mohapatra said that an outlay of Rs 92 crore was provided during this fiscal under the ClSR.
In another decision, the Cabinet has given its nod to the Finance Department proposal to reduce VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and AV GAS to 5 per cent from the existing 20 for a period of five years.
“In consideration of the proposed Civil Aviation policy, to strengthen the sector in the State and to attract more air operators to Biju Patnaik International Air Port here, the cabinet has taken this decision,” said Mohapatra.
At present, the State gets an annual revenue of Rs 27 crore from ATF, he said hoping that it would increase with more fuelling at Bhubaneswar.
The cabinet also accepted the recommendation of the report of Justice AS Naidu, Commission of Inquiry on the death of persons consuming medicines containing alcohol in Cuttack and Khurda districts in February 2012 and its action taken report. The Commission’s report along with the ATR would be tabled in the Assembly during the Winter Session.