Mission Kakatiya: Telangana Govt’s To Get Funding Boost Of Rs 1000 cr

On Tuesday, an official said that NABARD has agreed to release Rs 1,000 crore loan to Government of Telangana flagship programme “Mission Kakatiya” for restoration of minor irrigation tanks with community participation.

The official from the irrigation department said that NABARD had already provided a loan of Rs 725 crore to Mission Kakatiya and would now extend another Rs 1,000 crore in phases.

Officials said that under the programme more than 46000 tanks are aimed to be restored in phases with a tentative cost of Rs 20,000 crore.

They said that 8,000 tanks already have been restored at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore.

The government of Telangana 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 Mission Kakatiya.

Officials said that the NITI Ayog has already recommended to the Ministry of Finance, department of expenditure to release the said amount of Rs 5,000 crore as central assistance in a period of three years.

The government has been encouraging people to donate or adopt tanks their villages for their maintenance, beautification and protection.

An official said that NRIs from Telangana state are coming forward to adopt a tank or donate in their respective villages.

Till now, Rs 17.09 crore has been raised as donations from NRIs, industries, employees adn Telangana citizens among others, and 30 tanks have been adopt.

District Collector of Adilabad – M Jagan Mohan and MLA of Boath constituency in the district – Rathod Bapu Rao said that 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 that farmers are seeing increased yield due to usage of silt which has nutrient qualities, and savings on fertilisers and pesticides.