New Delhi, September 23: The National Bank for Rural and Agriculture Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 399.22 crore to Andhra Pradesh under RIDF XVII for Indira Jala Prabha project being implemented in 22 districts with a total project cost of Rs 875 crore and the balance amount coming from MGNREG Programme. With this sanction,
NABARD has so far sanctioned Rs 1116 crore to State Government during the year 2011-12 surpassing normative allocation of Rs 1056 crore.
According to NABARD’s Chief General Manager P Mohanaiah, RIDF loan of Rs 399.22 crore has been sanctioned for providing irrigation facilities in 4,90,029 acres of land in 16,472 villages of 22 districts. The irrigation facilities include drilling of 26,262 borewells, their energisation, purchase of 25,278 pumpsets/electric motors/diesel engines and other irrigation works. The project would benefit 4.80 lakh farmers in Andhra Pradesh with recurring employment of 49,000 and non-recurring employment of 250 lakh mandays. The project would be implemented by the District Water Management Agency(DWMA) wing of Rural Development Department.
The Indira Jala Prabha project aims to provide an integrated and Comprehensive Livelihood options to SC and ST farmers centered around development of compact block of Assigned & Cultivable Land and ensure that these lands become productive assets for the poor so that food security and livelihood are ensured. Indira Jala Prabha project would support irrigation potential for these lands, there by the farmers would become productive and organize best agriculture practices to achieve economic sustainability.
Since inception of RIDF, NABARD has sanctioned 26,212 projects with a loan component of Rs 14,372 crore to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The major investments which received financial support from NABARD for creation of infrastructure in the State include rural connectivity – Rs 5,018 crore (37.85 %), irrigation – Rs 4,281 crore (32.29 %), social sector – Rs 2,242 crore (16.92%) and other sectors – Rs 1,715 crore (12.94 %).
The financial assistance under RIDF till date would add a road length of 31,530 km, construction of 54,161 m of bridge length, create additional irrigation potential of 22.43 lakh hectare of agricultural land, watershed potential of 2.77 lakh hectare, forest cover of 2.94 lakh hectare under Joint Forest Management, and provision of safe drinking water to 40.97 lakh population besides infrastructure support to Anganwadis, Schools, Junior Colleges, Primary Health Centres and Animal Husbandry projects.
——Agencies