By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 3, 2019: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that irrigation facilities were created in only 22,000 hectares in Odisha against BJD’s promise of 10 lakh hectares during 2014 elections.

In a letter to Modsi, Naveen pointed out that Odisha has created an additional irrigation potential of 7.8 lakh hectares since 2014. “We are on course to surpass the 10 lakh hectares target that my government has set for itself,” Naveen claimed in the letter.

The Prime Minister, while addressing a rally at Khurda on December 24, criticized the Naveen Patnaik-government for not fulfilling its promises of providing irrigation facilities to over 10 lakh hectares of land, which the BJD had promised in 2014. Slamming the state government over several issues, Modi also said that it has created irrigation facilities in only 22,000 hectares.

Taking a potshot at the Centre’s poor allocation to strengthen the irrigation potential in the state, Naveen said an amount of Rs 26,889 crore has been spent in the irrigation and water sectors since 2014 of which the Centre’s contribution is only Rs 1211 crore, that amounts 4.5 per cent.

“In fact, in the current year a record amount of Rs 10,196 crore has been provided by the state,” Naveen noted.

Funds from the Centre were received under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.

Even as the major irrigation projects has made slow progress in Odisha, Naveen said the state government has created irrigation potential in 54, 472 hectares through its own plans like 46 mega lift irrigation projects, 2.67 lakh hectares through 53,476 deep bore wells, 1.29 lakh hectares through 5837 community lift points and 97,694 hectares through 8335 check dams. He also claimed that farmers are even getting water from these projects.

Stating that Odisha is among the top states in the country in investment on irrigation as well as creation of irrigation potential, the chief minister sought Modi’s support for Odisha and its people.

As Modi had laid foundation stone for several developmental projects during his Khurda visit, the chief minister assured that his government would extend all support for expeditious completion of these projects.