Many irrigation projects languishing

By S.K.Ramoo

BANGALORE, NOV. 16. Notwithstanding irrigation receiving the utmost priority from the governments, including the present one, several proposed and on-going projects in both the Cauvery and Krishna basins have yet to be completed. Some have not even taken-off the ground.

The State's 2001-2002 annual Plan gives utmost priority to the irrigation sector, followed by social services. As much as 32 per cent of the total plan outlay is earmarked for irrigation development, and 31.4 per cent for social services, as against 31 per cent approved during the ninth plan outlay. Within the ambit of the social services sector, water supply allocation gets 7.1 per cent, followed by education with 6.3 per cent, urban development 4.4 per cent, and the health sector with 3.1 per cent. The total budgeted outlay for the current annual plan is Rs.8,588.28 crores.

Although the concept of the district plan was formulated during 1978-79, it received an impetus during 1987 when the panchayat bodies were established. For the first time, the decision-making powers and funds were allotted to the panchayat institutions along with the deployment of required personnel for their administration.

The criteria for the allocation of funds were formulated on the basis of various parameters. The devolution of funds for a district was on the basis of applicability of Centrally-sponsored schemes and also determined on the annual plan size. All these changed drastically following the enactment of 73rd amendment to the Constitution and the then State Government bringing forth the Karnataka Panchayatraj Act, 1993 paving way for a three-tier panchayat system, the zilla, taluk and gram panchayats at the district, taluk and village levels, respectively.

From 2001-2002, a beginning was made following enhancement of funds earmarked for the panchayat institutions. Each zilla panchayat was allocated Rs.8 lakh, each taluk panchayat Rs.4 lakh and Rs.1.5 lakh for each gram panchayat. The district planning committees have been put in place in the 27 districts. Metropolitan planning committees have been formed in the Bangalore Urban and Rural districts. The reconstituted State Finance Commission is yet to submit its recommendations on the pattern of sharing of revenue by the State with the local bodies, including the panchayat institutions.

The top-down administration operating from the Vidhana Soudha by and large has failed to ensure the overall development of districts, taluks and villages. The introduction of the panchayat system was aimed to provide a corrective to the centralised administration. It is a fact that the local communities have a stake in the orderly development of their regions as they are in a position to know what their needs are. Both the tasks of regional planning and its execution, it is felt, should be in the hands of the elected representatives of panchayat institutions who can serve as an effective instrument of change and development. In other words, the elected representatives at the village, taluk, and district levels have been empowered to decide their collective destiny by way of regional development, particularly in the realm of infrastructure.

The total share of the district-outlay in the State's annual plan is Rs.1,697 crores, representing 20 per cent. The State outlay for 2000-2001 was Rs.967 crores against the State Plan size of Rs.7,274 crores. Of the Central Plan of Rs.1,232 crores, the district-outlay was 59.7 per cent during 2000-2001.

Belgaum District accounted for the highest allocation, representing 6.7 per cent. Gulbarga, Tumkur, and Bidar districts had shares of 5.9, 5.5 and five per cents, respectively. In respect of the Central outlay also, Belgaum District had the highest share.

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Section  : Southern States
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