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

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m<strong>on</strong>itoring <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the parameters <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> groundwater <strong>development</strong>, viz. average yield per<br />

well, the proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> dried up wells, area irrigated per well, <strong>and</strong> the cropping<br />

intensity <strong>and</strong> crop pattern in well irrigated areas.<br />

2.2.6 Studies <strong>on</strong> issues related to water pricing<br />

There are growing evidences suggesting that much <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the problems <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> under<br />

per<strong>for</strong>mance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> sector in India is due to under-pricing or n<strong>on</strong>-pricing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> water. Though the rati<strong>on</strong>ale <strong>for</strong> fixing up <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water tariff was clearly<br />

spelt out in the report <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Sec<strong>on</strong>d Irrigati<strong>on</strong> Commissi<strong>on</strong> 8 (GOI, 1972), the<br />

states did not adhere to it, the result being that the actual receipts varied from<br />

less than <strong>on</strong>e percent to a maximum <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2.9 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> gross income. The Sixth<br />

Finance Commissi<strong>on</strong> observed that the losses due to under-pricing or n<strong>on</strong>-pricing<br />

went up nearly II times from 4.84 crores in 1955-56 to Rs. 56.59 crores in 1967-<br />

68 (GOI, 1973a: 68). The Nati<strong>on</strong>al Water Policy (1987) also insisted <strong>on</strong> fixing up<br />

water rates to c<strong>on</strong>vey its scarcity value to the users as well as to cover annual<br />

operati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> maintenance charges so as to recover part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the fixed cost.<br />

Accordingly, though a few states had revised the characteristically low water<br />

rates 9 during 1981-86, in some cases, the rates had been even withheld lO<br />

8 The Irrigati<strong>on</strong> Commissi<strong>on</strong> argued <strong>for</strong> fixing up water charges based <strong>on</strong> I) quantity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

watet c<strong>on</strong>sumed by particular crops, 2) paying capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the irrigators, 3) assurances<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water supplies, <strong>and</strong> 4) the need to cover the annual costs incurred in providing<br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong>. Besides, the Commissi<strong>on</strong> also prescribed optimum level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> charges <strong>for</strong><br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> water such that it worked out to be around 5 <strong>and</strong> 12 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> gross income<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> food <strong>and</strong> cash crops respectively.<br />

• The Ninth Plan indicates that most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the northeastern states (except Assam <strong>and</strong><br />

Manipur) do not even charge any water rate. Maharashtra is the <strong>on</strong>ly state where the<br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> water rates are announced <strong>for</strong> a five year period at a time with provisi<strong>on</strong> <strong>for</strong><br />

yearly escalati<strong>on</strong> so as to cover the full 0 & M cost as well as the interest payable <strong>on</strong><br />

53

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