Mission Kakatiya, the massive restoration scheme of around 46,600 minor irrigation tanks in the state, is likely to get financial assistance under Green Climate Fund.
NABARD has recognised Mission Kakatiya eligible for Green Climate Fund. The state is expected to get Rs 2,000 crore Green Climate Fund (GCF). The irrigation department is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) as suggested by the NABARD to get the GCF.
The GCF is a fund within the framework of the UNFCCC founded as a mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.
The GCF was started in 2010 with $100 billion with head office in South Korea. The fund will continue its operations till 2020.
NABARD is the nodal agency in the country to get GCF for various government programmes. The fund will have grant and loan components too.
NABARD felt that Mission Kakatiya will considerably reduce the emission of carbon gases. The decision to plant trees on the banks of the restored minor irrigation tanks will help maintain ecological balance. The mud unearthed from the tanks will be used to agriculture fields, which will reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides. All these will reduce emisison of carbon gases.
NABARD officials had preliminary discussions with irrigation minister T Harish Rao. Now, the irrigation department is preparing the DPR as suggested by the NABARD, chief secretary Rajiv Sharma said in a release on Monday.
However, NABARD’s condition is that the state government should provide sufficient funds in the state budget for Mission Kakatiya programme.
In this background, the chief secretary held a review meeting with officials concerned at the Secretariat here on Monday in which Harish Rao, officials from NABARD, Icrisat and irrigation department attended.
The irrigation department, as a first step, submitted a concept paper to NABARD to get the fund.
As part of Mission Kakatiya, the state government will create awareness among farmers, provide employment to those communities traditionally banking on tanks and plant trees on irrigation tanks.
Mission Kakatiya requires Rs 12,000 crore of which the state will provide Rs 8,000 crore in the budget and NABARD will provide Rs 2,000 crore. The remaining Rs 2,000 crore will come as loan under Green Climate Fund and another Rs 1,000 crore as grant under GCF. The entire amount of Rs 12,000 crore will be spent over a period of five years.
With assurance from Rajiv Sharma that the state would provide sufficient funds in the budget for the Mission Kakatiya, NABARD officials in principle agreed to send the proposals to the GCF.
Irrigation principal secretary SK Joshi said the DPR would be prepared with the help of Icrisat.
Two more Projects: Meanwhile, the state government also proposed two more projects under GCF. Restoration of tanks in Hyderabad and treatment of polluted waters in the city tanks and making it purified water, thus making the tanks as pure water bodies.
The other project, which proposed to tap GCF, is to providing free bio-mass energy produced out of kitchen waste, fixing solar panels. However, preparing DPRs for these two projects will take some more time, officials added.
IT Exemption for Mission Kakatiya Donors
All the donors who donated money to Mission Kakatiya can get Income Tax exemption now. The IT department has given exemption facility for donations made to Mission Kakatiya under Section 80G. This exemption, however, will be applicable to donors who have donated after January 12, 2016 onwards. The Centre issued orders to this effect on Monday and informed the same to the state irrigation department. Also, Mission Kakatiya Trust was exempted from tax purview, irrigation minister T Harish Rao said here on Monday. This allows foreign donors also to donate for Mission Kakatiya Trust as per the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Harish Rao thanked the Central government for its decision and appealed to the donors to come forward and donate liberally to the scheme which is aimed at the welfare of farmers and also villages. Donations can be made online and more details can be had on website, http://missionkakatiya.cgg.gov.in. Mission Kakatiya is an ongoing programme to restore more than 40,000 minor irrigation tanks in the state.
Source: The New Indian Express