Kendrapara: Even as the state government emphasises on irrigation and agriculture and spends crores of rupees, the irrigation of farmlands through canal water is confined to pen and paper in Kendrapara, a source said.
Areas which have been identified to be canal irrigated, as shown in the official records of the administration, do not reflect the fact.
With no big industries in the district, agriculture is the chief occupation of around 69 per cent Kendrapara residents.
The delicate issue was earlier discussed, many a times, in revenue committee meetings.
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Even as the district administration does not get water tax against such falsely identified farmlands, at least a coordination committee meeting in this regard has not been convened yet.
According to data collected from the Revenue department by a local activist Ganesh Chandra Samal through Right to Information (RTI) Act, the water tax has been fixed for 85,920 acre of farmlands in Kendrapara district.
Similarly, as per RTI data obtained from the Agriculture, Lift Irrigation and Water Resources departments, as many as 46,727 hectare (coming to about 1,15,445 acres) of farmlands are being irrigated through canals.
This means that, the data provided by Revenue department and other three departments differ by 29,525 acre of farmlands.
It is known that Aul, Rajnagar and Rajkanika blocks in Kendrapara do not have irrigation canals.
Moreover, the Agriculture department has data that 26,690 acre of farmlands is being irrigated in Derabish tehsil as compared to Revenue department data of water tax fixed for 24,231 acre of farmlands.
Likewise, the Agriculture department shows irrigation of 2,592 acre of farmlands as against water tax fixed for 2,094 acre by the Revenue department in Garadpur tehsil limits.
Furthermore, Agriculture department shows 33,485 acre and Revenue department 30,084 acre in Kendrapara tehsil, Agriculture department 11,030 acre and Revenue department 8,050 acre in Marsaghai tehsil, 7,430 acre and 5,419 acre in Mahakalpada tehsil and 27,362 acre and 16,087 acre in Pattamundai tehsil, respectively.
Reacting to this, a local legal professional Sarojraj Singh said, “Provision is there to conduct a coordination meeting between senior officials of Revenue, Agriculture, Lift Irrigation and Water Resources departments under the chairmanship of the district Collector.”
Usually, the high-power committee decides on estimation of irrigated farmlands and chalks out detailed plans for the production of profitable crops in the district, Singh added.
A coordination committee facilitates successful implementation of the agricultural policies and smooth collection of revenues as well. However, coordination committee meeting has not been held in the district at least once, in the last ten years.
“State government previously decided to provide irrigation facilities to at least 35 per cent of farmlands located in a block,” an intelligentsia Chittaranjan Das said.
“Not a single inch of new canals have been dug in the last 27 years in Kendrapara. Some of the existing canals are now being used as playgrounds by local residents after those got buried in the due course of time,” Das further said.
Without proper maintenance and repair, most of the canals in Kendrapara district have failed to irrigate the targeted farmlands. Water does not reach the end areas of a canal.
As result of which, farmers agitate to waive water tax, Das stated.
On being contacted, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Durgacharan Moharana said, “A coordination committee meeting between senior officials of Revenue, Agriculture, Lift Irrigation and Water Resources departments is usually held prior to digging a new irrigation canal.”
Ayacuts in the district are taken into account during the coordination meetings.
However, a review of the irrigated and taxed farmlands would help enhance revenue and implement the state government’s agricultural policies, the ADM Moharana expressed.
PNN
