With Punjab Government’s active involvement for implementing Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) across the State, the Centre has sanctioned 67 projects with the total layout of Rs 377.63 crore from the year 2009-10 to 2015-16.
The motive of these projects was to treat as many as 3,14,686 hectares of land in 14 districts namely Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Pathankot, Patiala, Jalandhar, ludhiana, Faridkot, Ropar, Kapurthala, Mohali, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and Mansa.
“Under IWMP, harnessing, conserving and developing the natural resources in the state such as soil, vegetative cover, ground water table, prevention of soil, runoff, rainwater harvesting and recharging the ground water will be done to enhance the productivity and to create livelihood opportunities for assets-less persons at village level,” said an official spokesperson of the Rural Development and Panchayats Department.
He said that earlier, the funding pattern between the Centre and the State was 90:10 but during 2015-16, the Centre, after changing the name of the scheme as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)- Watershed Component, had also changed the funding pattern for Centre and State as 60:40.
Spokesperson said that during 2015-16, Rs48.96 crore — including Rs7.953 crore under IWMP, Rs27.82 crore for critical blocks, Rs11.80 crore for material cost of MGNREGA work and Rs1.3865 crore as institutional funds — had been released as Central share to the FD against the action plan of Rs 114.34 crore.
Out of Rs 48.96 crore, Rs 30.5895 crore — that for Rs 10.253 crore under IWMP , Rs18.95 crore and Rs1.3865 crore for critical blocks — were drawn during the year 2015-16.