Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been operationalised from 1st July, 2015 with the objective of enhancing irrigation coverage and improving the delivery system at farm level.

• The programme aims at end-to-end solutions in irrigation supply chain, viz. water sources, distribution network and farm level applications.
• All the States and Union Territories are covered under the programme.
• The scheme envisages decentralized state level planning and projectised execution, allowing the states to draw their irrigation development plans based on district/blocks plans with a horizon of 5 to 7 years.
• The scheme has four components which are as under:

1. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP): To focus on faster completion of ongoing Major and Medium Irrigation including National Projects.
2. Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP): Creation of new water sources through minor irrigation (both surface and ground water); repair, restoration & renovation of traditional water bodies;  command area development; strengthening and creation of distribution network from sources to the farm etc.
3. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC): Precision irrigation systems, efficient water conveyance & application, micro level storage structures, topping up of input cost beyond Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) permissible limits, secondary storage, water lifting devices, extension activities, coordination & management etc..
4. Watershed Development (WD): Ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting and other watershed interventions.

• Major, medium and minor irrigation projects are covered under PMKSY to bring more areas under irrigation and increase agricultural production. Major and Medium irrigation projects  are incorporated under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and Minor irrigation along with Command Area Development (CAD) comes under Har Khet Ko Pani component of PMKSY both components being administered by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga rejuvenation.

Issues

1. Under AIBP several irrigation projects were delayed beyond deadline. But, no project or State government was penalised. Similarly, there is no reference to accountability in PMKSY when there is a failure to meet targets or to formulate any district plans.
2. CAG audit found major irregularities in a 2004-2010 audit of AIBP. No major reform was undertaken after the audit.
3. The PMKSY envisages water management at district level. This contradicts the National Water Policy-2012 which provides for water management at river basin or watershed level. If a single watershed is divided by several districts, there could be several plans within a single watershed severely affecting its implementation.
4. One of the principal causes of the failure of the AIBP was its inability to take land acquisition into account. PMKSY pays little attention to this.
5. “Per Drop More Crop” requires higher investment to introduce costly sprinklers and drip irrigation which small landowning farmers cannot afford. It finds no mention in PMKSY.
6. While specialists are given greater preference in water management in advanced countries, there is dominance of generalists in PMKSY bureaucracy.
7. The tenure of service of the bureaucrats heading the committee will be secure, irrespective of the outcome of PMKSY