Telangana govt's 'Mission Kakatiya' to get funding boost

Hyderabad, Aug 31: NABARD has agreed to release Rs 1,000 crore loan to Telangana government's flagship programme "Mission Kakatiya" (MK) for restoration of minor irrigation tanks with community participation, an official said today.

NABARD had already provided a loan of Rs 725 crore to MK, and would now extend another Rs 1,000 crore in phases, the official from the Irrigation department said. Officials said under the programme with a tentative cost of Rs 20,000 crore, more than 46,000 tanks are aimed to be restored in phases.

"Already, 8,000 tanks have been rejuvenated at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore," they said. Telangana government has also approached the Union Finance Ministry to release an amount of Rs 5,000 crore to the state as central assistance under RRR (repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies) of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for implementation of MK.

Officials said the NITI Ayog has already recommended to the department of expenditure, Ministry of Finance to release the said amount of Rs 5,000 crore as central assistance in a period of three years. In addition, the government has been encouraging people to adopt tanks or donate in their villages for their protection, beautification and maintenance.

"Telangana NRIs are coming forward to adopt a tank or donate in their respective villages," an official said.

So far, Rs 17.09 crore has been raised as donations from NRIs, Telangana citizens, employees and industries among others, and 30 tanks have been earmarked for adoption. Collector, Adilabad district, M Jagan Mohan and MLA of Boath constituency in the district Rathod Bapu Rao said, "People are enthusiastically involving themselves in the programme as they see benefit in the area of irrigation, improved ground water recharge and drinking water facility to cattle in summer."

Irrigation department officials said farmers are seeing increased yield due to usage of silt which has nutrient qualities, and savings on fertilisers and pesticides.

PTI