The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : No conditionalities in WB loans, says Ponnala

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 03, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

No conditionalities in WB loans, says Ponnala

‘Separate wings to lay emphasis on completion of works’

WB to provide 2,250 cr. for Sagar modernisation project
The assistance will be received in four instalments of Rs. 550 crore each

HYDERABAD: Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah on Sunday refuted charges that the Government had decided to bifurcate the irrigation department at the behest of the World Bank.

Addressing a press conference here, he said given the magnitude of the works launched on irrigation projects involving huge amounts, the Government had decided to create a separate wing to lay special emphasis on expeditious completion of the ongoing works.

It was decided to nominate one secretary and one adviser to each of the three regions in addition to deputing chief engineers and strengthening quality control mechanism for executing the ongoing works.

The Government is, no doubt, taking loans from international agencies like the World Bank and Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, but the assistance is without any conditionalities.

The World Bank had come forward to provide assistance to the tune of Rs. 2,250 crore for Nagarjunasagar modernisation project with an estimated cost of over Rs. 4,000 crores, the Minister said.

The assistance will be received in four instalments of Rs. 550 crore each, beginning next year, while works on modernisation had already begun.

Budgetary allocation in excess of Rs. 13,000 crores was made this year and it was expected to be over Rs. 17,000 crores next year.

Given the allocations that were being made, loans obtained by the Government constituted only a small portion of the works.

Defending the decision to obtain loans, he said the Government was creating permanent assets, prominently income generating ones, using the loans.

Referring to the Rabi action plan, the Minister said water would be provided to an ayacut of 41.53 lakh acres during the forthcoming season.

This was a record in itself as the department had provided water to 79.76 lakh acres during the kharif, taking the total ayacut in the two seasons to 1.21 crore acres.

Water would be provided to 36.79 lakh acres through major projects, 1.24 lakh acres through medium and 3.5 lakh acres through minor irrigation sources during Rabi.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh