In a major decision benefiting millions of farmers of Kandi area across Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday waived maintenance, repair and operation charges and its outstanding arrears on the State tubewells in Kandi and non-Kandi belt for irrigation.
The decision was taken by the Chief Minister in a meeting with MlAs and senior leaders of SAD-BJP Government in the Kandi region at Punjab Bhawan on Monday morning acceding to their long pending demand, especially in Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), Rupnagar, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and Pathankot districts.
A total of `6.50 crore, including arrears on these tubewells installed by Punjab Water Resources Management and Development Tubewell Corporation (PWRMDTC), has been waived off.
Meanwhile, the State Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon apprised the Chief Minister that in future, to ensure proper maintenance and operation of State tubewells to be installed by the bidder for next seven years, a condition to this effect has already been incorporated in the tenders invited for this purpose.
It may be recalled that these charges at the rate of `1 and `1.60 per unit was being charged from the consumers as maintenance and operation charges in Kandi and non-Kandi belt respectively.
Taking a strong exception to the laxity shown by the PWRMDTC for inordinate delay of more than a year for energising these tubewells, Badal directed the Irrigation Minister to look into the reasons for the lapse and fix the responsibility accordingly to ensure this should never be repeated in future.
Chief Minister also decided to form a three-member panel comprising the Irrigation Minister, Industries and Technical Education Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and Principal Secretary Irrigation Sarvesh Kaushal to prepare a master plan for lift irrigation in Kandi area as a viable alternative to traditional mode of tubewell irrigation.
Badal asked the Irrigation Minister to personally visit Kandi areas to take stock of situation about scanty irrigation facilities there so that ongoing tubewell and lift irrigation schemes could be augmented to relive people from hardships faced by them.
He also directed Principal Secretary Irrigation to visit these difficult areas along with team of engineers so as to hasten completion of these irrigation projects. Responding, the officer assured the Chief Minister that he would personally check each and every tubewell so that all non-operational tubewells could be energized by installing motors at the earliest.
Assuring the Chief Minister that he would too visit the Kandi area and hold a joint meeting of all MlAs and senior leaders at Hoshiarpur in the third week of February, Sekhon said that he would resolve all issues related to augmentation of irrigation schemes in the region to their satisfaction.