Chief Minister wants the Irrigation Department to be reorganised
The Telangana government will commence restoration work of 9,000 minor irrigation tanks out of 45,300 in the State from December at a cost of Rs. 4,500 crore.
All the 9,000 tanks should be filled in the rainy season next year and water should be supplied to fields, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told irrigation officials at a meeting convened by him to discuss the massive restoration work.
A release said restoration of tanks was crucial for optimum utilisation of 265 tmcft of water available to Telangana from Krishna and Godavari rivers.
The tanks in Telangana had the storage capacity of 265 tmcft in the past, but they were neglected in the united State which shrunk the storage which resulted in failure to make full use of the river water.
Bidding process
He asked the officials to ensure that the restoration work was transparent and fast.
The work should be entrusted to contractors by bidding process in e-procurement mode.
There was no intention of giving the works by nomination.
The limits of the officials to invite tenders should be enhanced so that they don’t have to seek sanctions from the government. The Executive Engineers could invite tenders for works up to Rs. 50 lakh, Superintending Engineers up to Rs. One crore and Chief Engineers over and above Rs. One crore, Mr. Rao said.
In view of the massive work involved, the Chief Minister wanted Minor Irrigation Department to be reorganised and to have separate Chief Engineers for tanks in Krishna and Godavari basins respectively.
The department will have two Chief Engineers in the State.
There will also be a Superintending Engineer for every district, an Executive Engineer each for two or three Assembly constituencies, a Deputy Engineer for every constituency and an Assistant Engineer for every mandal.
Recruitment drive
Mr. Rao asked the officials to take up a recruitment drive and mobilise equipment and laptops for the survey. The proposals of Ministers, MPs and MLAs should be given priority in the works.
Villages where farmers volunteered to remove silt and use it in their fields should be prioritised.
One tank should be converted into a mini tank bund in every constituency to serve as a drinking water source and recharge groundwater.
Source: The Hindu