The Planning Commission began its intervention in the Rs.1,840-crore Kuttanad Package on Friday with a review visit and observed that the progress so far has not been on expected lines and that the process has to be accelerated.
Planning Commission Member Secretary Sudha Pillai, who headed a team inspecting the ongoing works as part of the package, said a meeting would be held with the Chief Secretary in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, after which a report would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Ms. Pillai, talking to the media after visiting the package areas including the Thanneermukkom barrage and the Kumarakom Regional Agriculture Research Station, said there were complaints over the implementation of the package and that allegations over deviations from what the M.S. Swaminathan Commission had recommended would be examined.
The utilisation of funds by the Irrigation Department, which had got a lion's share of the total allocation, also would be subjected to analysis. The visit, she said, was to “see where we are on the Kuttanad Package” following the Planning Commission's decision to intervene and speed up the process and to keep the Prime Minister informed of the progress of the crucial package.
Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner K. Jayakumar, who accompanied the team, said contentious issues such as how construction of outer bunds was initiated in areas where there was no cultivation would have to be examined and the priority of the package be decided.
An in principle decision had already been taken to have environmental impact assessments though the works had started. This was possible since only 2.6 per cent of the total work had been done and only 10 per cent of the outer bunds needed the controversial ‘pile and slab' method.
Work had not reached an irredeemable stage, he said adding that the endeavour would be to have corrections wherever possible and whenever necessary. The project office would be strengthened with directions for regular interactions with farmers. A full-time project officer would be appointed and it would be made sure that the public was taken into confidence at each step of the package.
Ms. Pillai was accompanied by National Rainfed Area Authority (Planning Commission) Chief Executive Officer J.S. Samra, Commission adviser Surinder Singh, Union Additional Secretary (Agriculture) G. C. Pati, Commission adviser (Water Resources) M.S. Agrawal and package project director P. Rajendran. The team later held interactions with officials and people's representatives including Alappuzha district panchayat president Prathibha Hari and Kottayam district panchayat president Radha V. Nair.
