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Hyderabad , May 17

THE Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has directed the officials to take expeditious steps for sorting out all the issues involved in completion of the pending irrigation projects in the State.

According to an official release, Dr Reddy held a detailed review meeting with senior officials over the financial position of the State with reference to the fiscal parameters for 2003-04. He also discussed and emphasised the need for significantly stepping up the outlays for priority sectors such as irrigation.

The meeting has noted that while there are projects to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore on the anvil, projects under major and medium irrigation sector to the tune of Rs 8,670 crore covering an ayacut of 26 lakh acres, both new and stabilisation, have already been taken up for grounding, the release said.

The Chief Minister also discussed various measures for raising resources for funding the pending projects. It was decided that apart from State budgetary resources, the resources from accelerated irrigation benefit programme (AIBP) and finances from institutional agencies such as Life Insurance Corporation and banks should be tapped in a big way for funding the pending projects, the release said.

Dr Reddy also asked the officials to formulate by May 30 the drafts of both short-term and long-term policy interventions needed for prevention of suicides by farmers.

At a review meeting on suicides by farmers, Dr Reddy also emphasised the need for providing a rehabilitation package to the family members of the farmers who had committed suicide.

Meanwhile, the AP Panachayat Raj Diploma Engineers Association, consisting of 5,000 members, presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister offering their one-day salary amounting to Rs 20 lakh to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund towards implementation of free electricity to farmers in the State.

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