In a major breakthrough for the State's long-pending initiatives, the Central government signed an MoU with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to complete 99 pending irrigation and other development projects across the nation, of which 11 are from Telangana.
At a crucial high-level meeting held at the nation's capital, NABARD and the National Water Development Authority (NWDA) signed the agreement in the presence of Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and Niti Ayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, approving the loans for the 99 projects. Other concerned officials from the Telangana government (and other State governments) were also present.
As per the agreement, NABARD will fund the projects in coordination with the Centre and the concerned States. The projects will be taken up by the Union and the States in three phases. 23 pending projects will be completed during the first phase between 2016 and 2017, 31 during the second phase between 2017 and 2018, and 45 during the third phase in 2019.
The 11 projects in Telangana have been slotted in phases one and two.
Rao hailed the deal as historic as it would help irrigate 75 lakh acres in Telangana, something that was never achieved in the State before.
filed in:T Harish Rao, Water Projects, Development Projects, Telangana