Only 0.1% irri potential created in one decade, insists Vikhe Patil

Agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil making a point during press conference while MLA Sunil Kedar looks on.

Agriculture Minister maintains his tough stance and blasts NCP-controlled WRD for abysmally poor performance, rejects WRD’s figure on irrigation potential and reveals bitter differences between Congress and NCP

By Dheeraj Fartode

Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Monday once again fired salvo at Water Resources Department (WRD) and reiteratred 0.1 per cent irrigation potential figure created during NCP regime. He contemptuously dismissed the irrigation potential figures cited by WRD and stated after spending thousands of crore in past one decade only 0.1 irrigation has been added. “I am firm on my stand that 18 per cent land came under irrigation in past 60 years. However, only 0.1 percent land was brought under irrigation in past 10 years,” said the Agriculture Minister.
The firm statement made by Vikhe-Patil during a press conference at Tilak Patrakar Bhavan on Monday evening has come as a huge embarassment to NCP controlled WRD. Facing wrath of CAG and under scanner before the High Court in PILs filed by Janmanch alleging massive constitutional fraud, corruption and collusion between contractors-their political patrons and pliable officials, the no non-sense approach of Vikhe Patil whose agriculture department has always questioned irrigation potential figure, has confirmed the lurking doubt about empty claims made by WRD and its political bosses.
Before constituting SIT, the present WRD Minister Sunil Tatkare tried to defend the indefensible record of his department held by his party-boss Ajit Pawar for nine long years. According to WRD, between 2001-02 and 2011-12 irrigation potential increased from 37.69 lakh hectare to 48.25 lakh hectare which means additional 10.56 lakh hectare land had been benefitted and actual irrigation potential had increased by 28%. The gross irrigated area to gross cropped area increased by 5.17% and if 67 TMC water released for non-irrigation is added then the figure touches 6.43%, claims WRD.
Agriculture department’s figure are based on revenue department’s assessment about gross cropped area whose primary source is Talathi, Vikhe Patil insisted making his disagreement over irrigation potential figure quite clear. State BJP President Devendra Fadnavis has also slammed the irrigation potential figure cited by WRD and stated that actual land under irrigation remained 29.55 lakh hectares.
Replying to a question about not furnishing data about irrigation in state in Economic Survey for the year 2012-2013, the agriculture minister said that agriculture department had given the information last year. The department did not like to submit information again as SIT is conducting probe into irrigation scam. 82 percent land of the state comes under rainfed hence, agricultural growth of the state is slow, he admitted.
Replying a question about Agricultural census, the minister said that the process is running slowly and census of horticulture has been done. “We are trying to streamline agriculture department and collecting and feeding all data from every taluka of the state,” he claimed. Blue print of every taluka would be available in current year, he added.
He further informed that state will spend Rs 700 crore for insurance of crops, which has benefited farmers last year. 90 percent fertilizers were delivered at farms under a special scheme. The scheme will be vigorously implemented current year as well, he said. Informing about Minimum support price (MSP) for cotton, the agriculture minister said that he would conduct a meeting and will also talk with agricultural price commission.
Kaharip crop review meetings of Aurangabad, Latur, Pune, Kolhapur, Nasik and Thane divisions will be conducted in next two weeks, he informed. MLA Sunil Kedar, NIT trustees Anant Gharad, Kishor Kanhere were present at the press conference.