The proposed project called ‘ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT OF MINOR IRRIGATION (ADMI)’ IN WESTBENGAL, to the Govt of India for the assistance from International Development Association (the World Bank) is now in progress & under preparation.

        The project aims to enhance agriculture-based income of small & marginal farmers through sustainable use of irrigation resources. This will be achieved by strengthening community based irrigation management, providing agriculture services, use of new technologies, facilitating market access and added income generation other than agriculture for the target group.

       The tentative estimated cost of the original proposal was Rs 1142.50 crore with a view to create additional irrigation potential of 4.08 lakh ha area under assured irrigation with construction of 28000 MI structures and is  likely to be modified in the present scenario.

        A high level Project Steering Committee headed by the Chief Secretary to the Govt of West Bengal and the Secretaries of Finance, Agriculture, Agriculture marketing, Animal Resources, Fisheries, Panchayet & Rural development department of Govt of West Bengal have been constituted for overall monitoring of the project.

       A project preparation team comprising of technical personnel from WRI&DD and Agronomist from Agriculture deptt have been constituted for preparatory work of the project. A Project Preparation unit (PPU) at state head quarter has already started functioning comprising of Subject Matter specialist (SMS) from different fields under the control of Project Director, ADMI project. Line departments who will be associated with this project has already placed one Nodal Officer from the respective department who are now in consultation with PPU are preparing project activities like training, demonstration & capacity building etc to bring value addition to the project.. District Level Project Steering Committee (DLPSC) headed by District Magistrates for all the 18 (eighteen) districts have been set up with one Executive Engineer of WRDD as convener member and district level officers of other deptt. There is one representative of Panchayeti Raj institution in the DLPSC. The committee has already started their function by identification of tentative schemes likely to be taken up in different blocks under their jurisdiction. A proposal for formation of District Level Project unit (DPU) comprising of subject matter specialist of different field has been proposed.

     In connection with project preparation, Consultants were engaged for Social, Hydrological & Environmental assessment studies so that the project would be sustainable and echo friendly. The consulting firms already submitted the Draft Final reports as per terms and contract of the contract and which are now under the review of Department and World Bank.

     The International Development Association (the World Bank) has already cleared Project Preparation Advance (no Q-6120-IN) as proposed by Govt of West Bengal for ADMI Project (P105311) for an amount of US$ 2.94 million to undertake preparatory activities out of which US $0.3 million has been released by them.

       Govt of West Bengal allotted an amount of Rs 363.70 lakh for the year 2008-09 till realization of Project Preparation Advance from Government of India. Out of which an expenditure amounting to Rs 46.14 lakhs during 2008-09 were incurred towards project preparation works.

    Work programme has been made to execute 40 nos Light Duty Tube Wells, 20 nos Mini River Lift Irrigation Schemes(diesel), 30 nos Mini River Lift Irrigation Schemes(electrical) & 300 nos Shallow Tube Wells(diesel) in the 5 (Five) pilot districts namely, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, 24 Parganas (N), Birbhum & Bankura have been taken up during 2009-10 out of budgetary provision of Rs 2000.00 Lakh against EAP. The Bank authority agreed for retroactive financing for the works prior to one year before signing of the project.

      It is now proposed to execute 2105 nos  Structures during 2010-11 with project outlay of Rs 238 crores (approx.) from EAP.