Srikakulam: Micro irrigation scheme gets no funds

Srikakulam: Micro irrigation scheme has been facing fund crunch for the last two financial years of 2020-2021 and 2021-'22 across the state as government is neglecting its implementation.

The then Congress government started micro irrigation scheme in 2005 with an aim to save water and to get good yields. According to guidelines of the scheme, SC and ST category farmers get 100 per cent subsidy for adopting micro irrigation methods in their fields with regard to machinery and material equipment. The subsidy will be 90 per cent of the total cost in case of farmers belonging to BC category.

The subsidy norms are applicable for the farmers who have up to five acre land. For those having more than five acre, the subsidy will be 90 per cent in case of SC and ST farmers and 50 per cent for BC farmers.

The scheme is not being implemented in the state since the state government is not granting funds for the subsidy for the last two years. In fact, a target is fixed for AP Micro Irrigation Project (APMIP) officials every year to bring more land under the scheme. For the last two financial years, targets were fixed as 16,000 acre in the district. Interested farmers also submitted applications to get benefit under the scheme but funds have not been granted.

When contacted, APMIP project director A V S V Jamadagni said, "The government has not allocated funds specifically for the payment of subsidy to eligible farmers under the micro irrigation scheme for the last two years. As a result, we are unable to implement the scheme in the district for the last two financial years though we have set targets and received applications from farmers."

He said they had reported the same to the government through district collector and were hoping funds will be sanctioned soon to resume the scheme.