Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia (SP)

Sullia, Feb 3: If a proposal sent by the minor irrigation department to revenue department gets necessary approval, the farmers will henceforth be needed to pay water tax for using vented dam water.

As per the above proposal, beneficiaries drawing water directly or indirectly from vented dams falling under minor irrigation department, have to pay charges. The department says that there is government directive to recover charges from such people by fixing amounts based on survey number, acreage, crops grown, etc. The minor irrigation department has sought these details from the revenue department. The latter has asked the department to positively respond to this letter.

The department is required to provide details of charges levied and collected to the government. It had issued circular on December 30, 2019 in this respect. It had submitted its demands from year 2-011-12 to 2016-17 to the taluk office. As details for 2014 to 17 have not been submitted, the department has asked the revenue department to immediately submit the tails of charges collected form 2014-15 to 2017-18.

However, the villagers claim that the minor irrigation department, after it builds the dams, does not provide any assistance for the maintenance of the dam. The beneficiaries themselves fix planks, maintain the dam and use their personal pump sets to draw water. The farmers wonder why they have to pay charges now.

S N Manmatha, zilla panchayat member from Bellare, points out that because of hot weather, vented dams do not carry water for more than two months. Therefore, he feels that levying charges will be a burden on farmers. Executive engineer in the department of irrigation, Gokuldas, said that the irrigation department sends demand to revenue department and the responsibility of collection lies on them.