77,000-crore corpus as part of a Central government push to complete 99 unfinished irrigation projects across the country by 2019, and bring water to 76.03 lakh hectares. “All drought and suicide-prone districts will be first covered,” Union Minister of Water Resources (MoWR) Minister Uma Bharti told a press conference. 67, 539 crore has been spent until March 2015 to build dams and irrigation projects but with little water actually making it to farmers’ fields. Traditionally the Central government apportioned money to States to complete projects. An irrigation potential of 24.39 lakh hectares was created through these projects and benefited 25 States, according to a press release from the MoWR.

Source: The Hindu September 06, 2016 19:06 UTC