Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The state irrigation minister faced the wrath of the opposition MLAs for, as they say, the miserable failure of the department on the irrigation front. The minister’s reply also failed to satisfy the opposition bench.
During the Question Hour, independent MLA Akhil Gogoi raised the plight of the irrigation system in the state. He said that it was the prime duty of the department to supply water to the farmers, but the department failed miserably. “On one hand, the government assures the farmers of doubling their income, and on the other, it has left the farmers at the mercy of the Rain God. Farmers do not even get water for the cultivation of shali paddy,” he said.
CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar said that the statistics on irrigation coverage in the state, as given by the minister, do not tally with the statistics given in the economic survey of the state.
Congress and AIUDF MLAs said that the primary function of the Irrigation Department is to supply water to crop fields according to the demand of the cultivators. The availability of reliable irrigation facilities is undoubtedly the most significant prerequisite for sustainable development in the agriculture sector, but the Irrigation Department has failed miserably. Several irrigation schemes have been lying defunct in many areas in the state, they said.
In his reply, Minister Ashok Singhal said, “The frequent changes of their courses by rivers and several other reasons are behind the irrigation schemes lying defunct in the state. However, we’re trying with innovative irrigation schemes, both big and small, to supply water to the crop fields. The department has a district-wise master plan. Shallow tube wells are also installed at various crop fields. We hope to put the irrigation system on track in the coming five years. The state has 27.49 hectares of agricultural potential land, and of this, cultivation goes on around the year in 4.88 lakh hectares. If any person wants to know about the functional irrigation schemes, they can visit our app—Khetiyok Bondhu.”
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