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

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a CriSIS. As the works involved In the irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects are irreversible. the<br />

unproductive lag gets extended further without any benefits accruing to the<br />

beneficiaries downstream. The decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy area has also similar effect <strong>on</strong><br />

escalati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> costs.<br />

A serious outcome <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the decline in area under paddy as highlighted in the<br />

audit review reports <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Comptroller <strong>and</strong> Audit General <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> India (CAGI) is the<br />

decline in the anticipated benefits from irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects leading to erosi<strong>on</strong> in the<br />

envisaged benefit cost ratios. This problem has been reported in respect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

the <strong>on</strong>going schemes as shown below:<br />

(i) In the Kuttiadi irrigati<strong>on</strong> project, the BeR has been reworked at 0.67 at 1992<br />

agricultural prices. Though the project was taken up in 1962. substantial<br />

investment was made <strong>on</strong>ly by 1973. According to the project report. the cost<br />

per ha. <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential to be created was Rs. 3408, but the actual cost based <strong>on</strong><br />

the investment made till March 1993 was Rs. 1.06 lakhs per ha. This is much<br />

higher than the nati<strong>on</strong>al average <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rs. 27000 during the Seventh Plan period.<br />

The expenditure was almost 4 times more than the original estimates (CAGl,<br />

1993). No steps were taken to diversify cropping pattern <strong>on</strong> the lines<br />

suggested by the Planning Commissi<strong>on</strong> in March 1983.<br />

(ii)<br />

In the Muvattupuzha Valley Irrigati<strong>on</strong> Project (MVIP), it was originally<br />

emisagcd to raise three crops <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy (as per the project report, 1975) in the<br />

entire ayacut <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 17400 ha. with a view to raise an additi<strong>on</strong>al food producti<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1.47 t<strong>on</strong>nes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy. But, due to the decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the ayacut area under<br />

178

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