WB to sanction aid for water resources project shortly

Chennai, Jan 20 (UNI) The World Bank will soon give approval to provide financial assistance for the Modernisation of Irrigated Agriculture and Management of Water Resources project, Governor S S Barnala told the State Assembly today.

Delivering the customary address to the House, he said negotiations with the World Bank for the project had concluded in last December.

''The approval for the project by the World Bank is expected shortly'', he said and added that the project, to be executed from 2007-2008, would benefit six lakh hectares of agricultural land through improvements in irrigation facilities.

He said this multi-purpose project would be implemented with the objective of increasing the income of farmers through the co-ordinated action of the Public Works, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Departments.

Mr Barnala said the government would also implement schemes to increase the income of farmers by encouraging cultivation of more remunerative horticultural crops and allied activities like animal husbandry and pisci-culture. Thrust would also be given to micro-irrigation techniques to promote the judicious use of water.

UNI