Bhubaneswar: To create an additional irrigation potential of 10 lakh hectares by 2018-19, Odisha government today approved proposals to award works worth Rs 1,796.27 crore for 54 more projects in four clusters under mega lift irrigation scheme.
The proposals were approved at a Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also in-charge of the water resources department.
While L&T will take up projects in two clusters at a cost of Rs 1,028 crore, GVPR Engineering Ltd will execute projects in one cluster at a cost of Rs 297 crore.
Megha Engineering will work at 14 points in one cluster at a cost of Rs 296 crore, Chief Secretary A P padhi told reporters.
He said these schemes will cover 23 blocks in the districts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Kalahandi and Nuapada.
With award of works for the four clusters of the total 12, Odisha government aims to provide irrigation to 2.3 lakh hectares. A total Rs 5008 crore would be spent for the 12 clusters, Padhi said.
He said by 2018-19 75,000 hectares will be irrigated through minor irrigation projects, while 4.8 lakh hectares will get water through lift irrigation projects. Remaining 2.45 lakh hectares will get water through mega irrigation scheme.
The state government, he said, has allocated more funds for the water resource department for the purpose of increasing the irrigation potential and has decided to take up about 4,000 check dams per year to give more irrigation facilities to blocks with less than 35 per cent of irrigation areas.More community lift irrigation points and deep bore well would be taken up in those blocks, he said and added a large number of mega lift irrigation schemes would be undertaken on priority basis to irrigate deficit blocks as part of government's strategy for equitable development of the state, Padhi said.
Among other noteworthy proposals, Odisha State Legal Services Cadre, Municipal Administration Cadre Rules, and proposal to increase minimum age limit for lecturers of Ayurvedic colleges to 40 years got cabinet nod.
Moreover, proposal to amend Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana also got cabinet approval. Under the amended guidelines, the financial assistance has been increased to Rs 1cr per block in non-tribal areas and Rs 1.5 cr in tribal areas.