Agartala, Jan 3: The Centre has approved the 90:10 funding pattern in the Flood Management Programme (FMP) for the Northeastern states and Kashmir while deciding to follow the same model for restoration of damaged irrigation projects across the country.

Official sources said here today that the Surface Minor Irrigation Schemes (SMIS) of the NE states, besides Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and KBK districts of Orissa, had been provided the Central Loan Assistance (CLA) under the programme since 1999-2000.

The Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) was launched during 1996-97 to give loan assistance to the states to help them complete some of the incomplete major and medium irrigation projects which were in an advanced stage of completion and create additional irrigation potential in the states, officials stated.

Altogether 232 major and medium irrigation projects and 6,205 SMIS were receiving central assistance under the programme since 2004 and the states had been provided Rs 4,857 crore as CLA/Grant during the current fiscal.

The Union Cabinet had allocated Rs 8,000 crore during the 11th Plan Period (2007-12) for FMP last month, which included river management, flood control, anti-erosion, drainage development, flood-proofing work and restoration of damaged flood management work in the critical reaches in the region, officials said.

The scheme would also cover the remaining work recommended by the Task Force on Flood Management/Erosion Control-2004 in the Ganga and Brahmaputra basin.


UNI