The Andhra Pradesh Irrigation and Livelihood Improvement Project (APILIP) will increase agricultural production in the State by constructing and rehabilitating irrigation facilities and improve water management and agricultural practices thereby enhancing agricultural income and alleviate poverty, the Chief Secretary said.
Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao chaired a meeting with the departments concerned to review the status of Externally Aided Projects (EAP), new projects and pipeline projects. The development objectives of the Water Sector Improvement and APILIP projects are to improve irrigation service delivery on a sustainable basis so as to increase productivity of irrigated agriculture in the National Sample Survey (NSS) and to strengthen the State’s institutional capacity for multi-sectoral planning, development and management of its water resources.
To increase the agriculture production, construction of new Minor Irrigation Tanks and rehabilitating Medium Irrigation Projects were being taken up with assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Due to the recent rains in Chittoor and Nellore districts, the works of Swarnamukhi and Gandipalem projects were hampered, Chief Secretary informed.
While reviewing the Road Sector project discussed on the development objective of the project and said that it is to provide better quality, capacity and safe roads to users in a sustainable manner through enhanced institutional capacity of the Andhra Pradesh Government in the Road Sector.
Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project was discussed. To improve its Rural Water and Sanitation services through the progressive decentralization of such services increased community participation and improved accountability in the districts. Issues related to the project viz., Implementation of water supply schemes is lagging behind particularly for the multi village schemes; Greater attention needs to be paid to improve community interface through rejuvenation of village committee; Promotion of house connections; Sanitation focus of the project has to deepened are discussed.
He also reviewed the EAP newly approved projects – A.P. Rural Inclusive Growth Project (APRIGP) activity is to increase economic opportunities of the targeted small and marginal farmers and the SC/ST communities in the 150 most backward Mandals in the State. A.P. Disaster Recovery Project activity is to restore, improve and enhance resilience of public services, environmental facilities and livelihoods in targeted communities and to enhance the capacity of state entities to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency. Officers concerned informed that the preparatory works are going on for disaster recovery project. AP Integrated Water Mgt. & Post Harvest Investment Promotion Project, AP Community Based Water Management Project, Visakhapatnam – Chennai Industrial Corridor Development Programme and 24 x 7 Power for All Programs in AP are the Pipeline Projects.
The Chief Secretary said Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor is meant to support the Government of Andhra Pradesh for infrastructure development and policy and institutional reforms to stimulate economic growth and employment generation (such as airports, ports, rail heads, national highways and urban centres etc) and corridor is a major project which sponsoring by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the project is on track with Detailed Project Reports (DPR).
The Chief Secretary issued instructions to prepare DPRs for all the approved projects at earliest and to ensure to complete the works within the fixed time. (NSS)