New Delhi,6 May:(Rajya Sabha):Out of the estimated ultimate irrigation potential of 13.9 million hectare, the irrigation potential of 102.7 million hectare has been reported to be created by various State Government upto March 2007 which also account for irrigation more than once in a year on the same land. State-wise detail of the total irrigation potential created is at Annex. The information about irrigation potential created upto December, 2007 is not available.
Irrigation being a State subject, irrigation projects are conceived, planned and implemented by the respective State Governments as per their own priority. However, Government of India provides central assistance to the State Governments for completion of on-going irrigation projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) including the North-Eastern States. From 1999-2000, the scope of Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme was extended to include Minor Irrigation (MI) schemes for special category staqte which inter-alia include North-Eastern States. The overall target for creation of irrigation potential during XI Plan (2007-12) is 16 million hectare.