HP govt presses Centre for cost norm revision timeline extension for water irrigation schemes

    Shimla, Apr 27 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government has urged the Centre to revise cost norms and extend timelines for ongoing water and irrigation projects in view of the state's difficult terrain, disaster vulnerability, and rising implementation costs, according to an official release.
    The state government on Monday requested the Centre to revise per-hectare cost norms from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh to ensure realistic project execution. The government also sought Central Assistance of Rs 60.41 crore for surface minor irrigation (SMI) (111, 14 and 4 categories) schemes and approval of new proposals worth Rs 273.78 crore.
     The demands were raised by Secretary (Jal Shakti Vibhag) Dr Abhishek Jain during a high-level review meeting on the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), held under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil.
     During the meeting, Dr Jain requested the Centre to extend the timelines for ongoing projects to ensure quality execution in difficult field conditions.
     He also apprised the minister that under the Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) programme, 149 out of 169 schemes have been completed, while 20 schemes are currently under execution. He said that the department is working with commitment and dedication to complete the remaining works in a time-bound manner, subject to timely release of funds.
     Dr Jain further highlighted that PMKSY interventions in Himachal Pradesh are critical under the 'Har Khet Ko Pani' component, given the state's dependency on small irrigation structures due to hilly terrain. These schemes are directly contributing to enhancing irrigation potential in remote and rain-fed areas.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)