MP for ten-year plan to utilise irrigation potential

New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today called for framing a ten-year policy for the optimum utilisation of the country's irrigation potential and said the expenditure should be borne by the Centre and the states on a 50:50 basis.

Addressing the 53rd meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) here, Mr Chouhan said the total expenditure of 400,000 crore could be raised by cutting down the Government expenditure on telecommunciation to half and by rationalising the subsidy on fertilisers.

The Chief Minister felt that all the irrigation projects, including those on watershed management, should be brought under the control of the Union Ministry of Water Resources and then implemented as an integrated scheme.

He reiterated that the 11th Plan and 12th Plan should be declared as water schemes of India. The Central share and the State share in the AIBP programmes should be divided on a 50:50 ratio.

He said the present subsidy system and payments to encourage the irrigation system of sprinklers and drips was inadequate. It would be better if taxes imposed on all the commodities and equipment used in the system were removed.

''While on one hand, there is a tax administration paraphernalia to realise taxes, on the other hand, there is one for giving subsidy.

This double arrangement has no meaning,'' Mr Chouhan added.

Calling for a review of the valuation policy of the farm produce, the Chief Minister described the cost valuation system adopted by the Agriculture Cost and Valuation Commission as ''totally wrong and discriminatory''.

He felt the cost of the farm produce should be evaluated on the basis of the formula adopted by the Tariff Commission and BICP.

The Chief Minister said a time-bound integrated scheme should be launched immediately to provide an alternative employment and reduce the dependence of the population on agriculture. ''For this, alternative job schemes should be framed, based on techncial and vocational education in the rural areas.'' UNI YS RR DS1700