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economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

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irrigati<strong>on</strong> comm<strong>and</strong>s: (b) perceptible change in the cropping pattern 10 favour <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

rainfed <strong>and</strong> perennial cash crops; (c) rise in costs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<strong>and</strong>. labour <strong>and</strong> material<br />

involved in the c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> canal systems: (d) disproporti<strong>on</strong>ate rise in the<br />

establishment (revenue) expenditure in irrigati<strong>on</strong> schemes; (e) change in design!<br />

alignment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> canal systems; <strong>and</strong> (f) l<strong>and</strong> acquisiti<strong>on</strong> <strong>for</strong> aligning canals <strong>and</strong> the<br />

earthwork involved.<br />

The political rati<strong>on</strong>ale behind the <strong>development</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems in the<br />

post-independence era has been to initiate multi-purpose river valley projects, which<br />

invariably resulted in thin spreading <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> scarce financial resources, opening up the<br />

floodgates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> corrupti<strong>on</strong>. resulting in cost <strong>and</strong> time over-runs in irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects in<br />

the state. Other reas<strong>on</strong>s include unscrupulous payments to the c<strong>on</strong>tractors. huge<br />

amount involved in arbitrati<strong>on</strong> awards. etc.<br />

Decline in paddy area<br />

It is important to note that the issue <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cost escalati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> time lag has not been<br />

explained in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the shift in cropping pattern in favour <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> dry crops, which in<br />

effect. does not generate any dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> water <strong>for</strong> irrigati<strong>on</strong>. Thus. the physical<br />

dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> water is not translated into effective dem<strong>and</strong>. This caused c<strong>on</strong>siderable<br />

delays in the completi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects. compounded by cost escalati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

alarming proporti<strong>on</strong>s. lJsing this analogy, it may be str<strong>on</strong>gly argued that most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects in tht: state. especially, the <strong>on</strong>going schemes are c<strong>on</strong>fr<strong>on</strong>ting such<br />

---------------------------------<br />

For a detailed review Oil cost csc~d"ti()11 <strong>and</strong> time-lag, see Singh (1997: 118-130).<br />

177

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