Modi presses Centre for early completion of Narmada project

New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) Underlining that water deficient Gujarat could no more afford delay in the completion of the Narmada project, Chief Minister Narendra Modi today urged the Centre to see that the work was accomplished at the earliest.

He pointed out that the project had the potential to irrigate 18 lakh hectares of land.

Speaking at the National Development Council(NDC) meeting, Mr Modi sought heavy investment from the Centre for the agricultural sector.

''It appears from NDC Sub-comittee's recommendations and the Planning Commission's strategy paper that agriculture and irrigation were going to be left to state governments, but the fact is that they alone would not be able to face the challenge before the sector,'' he observed.

In addition to industrial, social and physical infrastructure, agricultural infrastructure should form a separate focus area and should be developed on a priority basis, Mr Modi stressed.

He said the targeted four per cent growth in the agriculture sector cannot be achieved through ordinary decision. The management and the practices in the sector need new thinking, one example of which was that food and fodder security should be considered together.

The Chief Minister told the NDC that his state was in the process of doubling the income of farmers in next five years, and expressed the confidence that it will achieve five per cent agricultural growth, against four per cent of the national target.

Mr Modi also urged the Centre to continue support to the crop insurance scheme, at least at the current level of of 50 per cent assistance to the states.

He sought to draw the Centre's attention towards the sickness of fertiliser unit which resulted from the low subsidy amount budgeted by it. Moreover, he added, private investment in the fertiliser sector was not forthcoming because of the low returns.

Referring to the river interlinking projects, he said an early decision on making a river grid should be taken for the benefit of both surplus and deficient regions.

He mentioned that in his state 28 rivers had been interlinked and Narmada waters could now be seen flowing in the Sabarmati river which passes through Ahmedabad.

UNI