Chief Minister Raman Singh has lauded the achievement of Water Resources Department in developing irrigation capacity for more than one lakh hectares area in Chhattisgarh within a year in the first phase of ‘lakshya Bhagirathi Abhiyan.’
The Chief Minister was addressing the programme organized on Tuesday evening on the successful completion of Abhiyan lakshya Bhagirathi in year 2016-17.
As Chief Guest of the programme, Singh said “ anyone who learns from the past and move ahead with strong determination after necessary contemplation succeeds for sure.”
He said that Water Resources Department’s lakshya Bhagirathi is a striking example of the same.
In the programme held at conference hall of new circuit house, Singh said “ under this campaign, every year one lakh hectare of irrigation capacity is to be expanded and by year 2028 i.e. within 11 years, irrigation capacity in entire state is to be expanded by nearly 32 lakh hectares. Keeping in view the success of first phase, it can be said that we will achieve our target for sure.”
He later released the booklet based on this achievement of the campaign ‘Abhiyan lakshya Bhagirathi- A New Yardstick of Excellence.
Singh was glad that the campaign achieved tremendous success right from its first year and it is the first time in the history of state that within one year 70 incomplete irrigation schemes were completed and 46 new irrigation schemes were implemented. Many of these schemes were incomplete since 30-40 years, and completing them on time was a big challenge for Water Resources Department. But Department examined these old incomplete schemes, made action plan and within one year it set the new record of developing irrigation facility of one lakh hectares land.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that the campaign will be conducted with same dedication and enthusiasm to keep up the bar of success in upcoming phases as well. Total irrigation capacity of Chhattisgarh which is 20 .52 lakh at present, will expand to 32 lakh hectare in next 11 years by year 2028.
The Chief Minister said that expansion of irrigation facilities will lead to agricultural development and lakshya Bhagirathi campaign will also play an important role in achieving the target of doubling the farmers’ income by year 2022, given by Prime Minister.
Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal presided over the programme and Parliamentary Secretary Tokhan Sahu was present as special guest of the programme.
Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture Department Ajay Singh and Secretary Water Resources Department Ganesh Shankar Mishra along with the Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer and other officers of Water Resources Department also attended the programme.