Mission Kakatiya launch likely on Jan 25

Hyderabad: The Rs 23,000-crore Mission Kakatiya, TS government's prestigious initiative, is on track and is likely to be launched officially on January 25 by Union Minister Uma Bharati at Warangal.

As part of the project, about 150 tenders would be finalised soon and works pertaining to as many tanks are ready to take off. The government has already given sanctions to about 500 proposals and soon 1,300 more proposals would be cleared.

Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao went to Delhi on Sunday to invite Uma Bharati for the launch of the programme. If the Union Minister launches the mission on 25 of this month, the flagship programmes of the Irrigation Department would commence.

The Union Minister had promised that she would visit the State to launch the mammoth programme and had offered to unveil the pylon of the project at Warangal. The Irrigation Department is ready to roll out the programme as it is confident about its completion, given adequate funding sources.

Officials point out that about Rs 10,000 crore would come from the Centre, while the rest could be mobilised from external sources. A top official said that the State had approached the Centre for sanction of Rs 2,500 crore towards renovation, restoration and repair of minor irrigation sources.

Works pertaining to major tanks would be taken up with the help of this programme under MK. The official said that NABARD had agreed to provide Rs 1,000 crore to the State for MK.

'About Rs 2,500 crore would be sought from the Japan International Bank of Cooperation (JICA) and the World Bank would be approached for Rs 2,500 crores assistance. Already we have assurance for Rs 5,500 crores of funding,' the official said.

Officials are planning to seek the support of the corporate sector as well. In this context, representatives of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) met Minister Harish Rao and promised to adopt some lakes.

The cost of improving each tank was estimated at Rs 50 lakh and it would be Rs 80 lakh in the case of major tanks, above 100 acres of area.

Several IT companies would be approached to adopt tanks in around Hyderabad. Irrigation Department officials said that the government had already sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore in this year's budget and they are hopeful of getting another Rs 8,000 crore over the next four years.