28-03-14
State Government constitutes division-level committees for effective
co-ordination among Water Resources, Agriculture, and Co-operation
departments, and to ‘reduce’ the difference
By Kartik Lokhande
There is a huge difference of 16 lakh hectares in
the figures of irrigation reported by Water Resources Department (WRD)
and Agriculture Department in Maharashtra. No, this is not a wild
allegation. This ‘disparity’ has been officially recognised by the
Government itself. In fact, to ‘reduce’ this ‘disparity’, the Government
has decided to constitute division-level committees.
The last time, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan himself had quoted from
Economic Survey of Maharashtra and stated that there was only 0.1 per
cent increase in area under irrigation in the State in last 10 years
despite spending huge amount of Rs 72,000 crore. This had kicked up a
storm. Soon, this snowballed into a major controversy leading to
revelation of infamous irrigation scam. It led to publication of a
‘White Paper on Irrigation’. Several heads rolled and even the Deputy
Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had to resign from his post. Later on, the
ruling Congress-NCP alliance ‘explained’ that there was actually
‘disparity’ in figures of area under irrigation as reported by WRD and
Agriculture Department. However, Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna
Vikhe-Patil stuck to the figures reported by his department.
This time, WRD itself has admitted to ‘disparity’ between the figures of
WRD and Agriculture Department. Officially, it has been recognised that
there is a huge ‘disparity’ of 16,00,000 hectares in the figures of
irrigation potential created in State, between both the departments. As
per the WRD, the irrigation potential created at the end of June 2012
through various major, medium, and minor irrigation projects was 48.35
lakh hectares. However, the area under irrigation as reported by
Agriculture Department was only 32.35 lakh hectares as in June 2012.
Thus, there is a huge ‘disparity’ of 16,00,000 hectares between the
figures quoted by both the departments.
Jittery over the discrepancies, the Government has decided to constitute
committees at division levels in State to ‘reduce’ the ‘disparity’ in
figures of both the departments. The committees, to be known as Command
Area Development Co-ordination Committees, will work to ensure
‘effective co-ordination on day-to-day basis’ among WRD, Agriculture
Department, and Co-operation Department. As per the Government
Resolution issued on March 26, 2014, by Additional Chief Secretary
(Agriculture) Dr Sudhirkumar Goel and Principal Secretary (CADA) Malini
Shankar, the committees will work at division level. There are total six
administration divisions in the State -- Nagpur, Amravati, Konkan,
Nashik, Aurangabad, and Pune. Thus, there will be six such committees in
place.
Each of these committees will be headed by respective Divisional
Commissioner and Regional Chief Engineer (Irrigation Management) will be
the Joint Chairman of the panel. Superintending Engineer (Headquarters)
of WRD will be Member Secretary. The members will comprise all District
Collectors, all Joint Directors (Agriculture), all Joint Directors
(Co-operation), all Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Parishads, and all
Superintending Engineers (CADA) in respective division.
The committees have been entrusted with the task of holding at least
three meetings in a year -- October 15-31 at the start of Rabi season,
February 15-28 at the start of summer, and July 1-15 ahead of Kharif
season. The meetings are to be chaired by respective Divisional
Commissioner. Interestingly, though the committees are expected to
‘reduce disparity’ in figures reported by the two departments, the
briefs given to them pertain mostly to availability and reservation of
water in dams.
The panels have to take ‘realistic review’ of the water availability in
dams as on October 15 and decide on reservation for drinking and
industrial purposes. Besides, these committees will take stock of water
availability in dams as on February 15 and arrive at the figure of water
left for irrigation purposes. Once the availability of water for
irrigation is arrived at, crop pattern will be decided in co-ordination
with Agriculture Department. Co-operation and Agriculture Departments
both will facilitate extension of benefits of various schemes to
farmers.
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