Jammu: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here today under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha accorded administrative approval for construction and improvement of Malla Khul in Beerwah area of Budgam amounting to Rs 24.84 crore.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the estimated cost of the project is Rs 24.84 crore and would be funded under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) programme with funding pattern of 90:10 and is expected to irrigate cultivable command area of 1725 hectares during Kharief season and 665 hectares during Rabi season, benefitting 26 villages of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The decision would enable the department to repair this canal which is in dilapidated condition and thus requires a full scale construction to prevent leakages and overflow.
The scheme would run on gravity with 2.52 Cumecs of discharge with benefit cost ratio of 4.98:1.
The construction of the scheme is expected to generate 1,10,458 mandays of skilled and 4,41,831 mandays of unskilled labour in the area.
The decision would fulfil the long-pending demand to solve the irrigation problem of the area and lead to conversion of farm agriculture from rain fed to irrigated farming.
Advisor to LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, and Principal Secretary to LG Mandeep Kumar Bandhari attended the meeting.