From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
 
Bangalore, Oct 30: The Inter-State Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal will be touring Goa and Karnataka from December 12 to 22 for inspecting the progress of work on the long-pending Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore on Wednesday, Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister M B Patil said: “We have held discussions with the advocates representing the State before the tribunal. We are going to present strong arguments before the tribunal and have already taken measures to ensure that our interests are protected.”

The State Government would follow the legal route by presenting its case before the tribunal and make an appeal before the tribunal to give the go-ahead for the project as it was for drinking water needs.

The work was progressing well in non-forest areas, the minister said

The government was determined to implement the project and legal experts would put a strong defense before the tribunal to convince it of the need of the implementation of the project, Patil said.

The Goa government has been opposing the execution of the project by the State.

The project was taken by the State government to mitigate drinking water requirements of a few taluks of Bagalkot, Belgaum, Dharwad and Gadag districts
 

No Financial Constraints to Complete 79 Pending Projects
 
The minister said that there are no financial constraints for completing pending 79 irrigation projects in the State.

Land acquisition, acquisition of forest lands, and rehabilitation and resettlement, staff shortage and delay clearances from the centre for various projects were the major problems come in the way of expediting works of pending projects, he said.

The Water Resources Department has targeted to bring 9.5 lakh hectares under irrigation facility during five years of the Congress government and irrigation facility would be provided to one lakh hectares by completing 13 pending projects in 2013-14, said Patil, who toured Krishna basin districts during the last four days.

A total of 79 irrigation projects have been languishing for several years and the government has set a target to complete 13 long pending projects during 2013-14.

The total irrigation potential of the State is 36.69 lakh hectares while irrigated area is 27.43 lakh hectares. The remaining 9.5 lakh hectares would be irrigated in the next five years with an estimated investment of Rs 45,557 crore, he said.

To address the problem of land acquisition, the department is planning to give market price to land owners instead of government rate, which would encourage people come forward to part with their land.
 

Department Seeks Rs 10,000 Cr Outlay Annually
 
The Water Resources Department has sought allocation of Rs 10,000 crore every year to complete pending projects, he said.

The State would receive Rs 560 crore from the Centre under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) in 2013-14 against Rs 200 crore last year to complete pending projects.

The Centre would give funds to take up works of long pending projects and not for new projects under the AIBP. The Centre was proposed to cut its grants from 90 per cent to 75 per cent under the AIBP, he said.

Currently, the Centre’s share under the scheme 90 per cent and funding would be utilised to complete projects in the Krishna basin.

An official in the Union Water Resources Ministry had informed him that the Ministry had mooted a proposal to reduce grants from 90 per cent to 75 per cent. The State would have to share 25 per cent of the funding against the present 10 per cent, Patil said.