Odisha extends Nabakrushna Choudhury Secha Unnayan Yojana
Bhubaneswar, Oct 11 (UNI) The Odisha Cabinet has approved the extension of the “Nabakrushna Choudhury Secha Unnayan Yojana” for a further period of five years. The aim is to achieve optimum utilisation of the designed irrigation for the revival of lost ayacut (irrigable area).
The scheme has been extended from 2025-26 to 2029-30 with an outlay of Rs 1,437.00 crore. It is intended to restore the irrigation potential of 1,23,448 hectares and secure an increase in additional irrigation coverage of 4,862 hectares.
State Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja explained that a number of old major, medium, and minor irrigation projects are currently operating below their designed capacity. This is due to factors such as the deterioration of distribution systems and siltation of reservoirs.
The “Nabakrushna Choudhury Secha Unnayan Yojana” was initially implemented to revive the lost ayacut through the renovation and modernisation of these projects and to enhance the irrigation area beyond the original design capacity.
Bearing in mind the scheme’s efficacy, the State Cabinet yesterday approved the five-year extension.
Ahuja said it is expected that the gap between Irrigation Potential Created (IPC) and Irrigation Potential Utilised (IPU) will be reduced to a large extent through the revival of lost command areas and augmented irrigation coverage in existing projects.
He added that the optimum utilisation of available irrigation potential leads to enhanced agricultural productivity and an improvement in the per capita income of farmers.
