Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme

Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) was launched by Union Government in 1996-97 to provide central assistance in the form of loan to State Government to complete those ongoing irrigation projects which were costing Rs.1000 crore or above and were in advanced stage of completion. Subsequently the criteria for inclusion of irrigation projects under AIBP were changed from time to time so as to include all categories of projects i.e. major, medium and minor (surface irrigation) projects to bring regional balance. From 2005-06 onwards, central assistance is now provided in form of grant till 2011-12. A total sum of Rs. 49297.39 crore has been provided to State Governments in form of Central assistance under AIBP till September 2012 out of which Rs 44650.95 crore is for Major & Medium Irrigation Projects and Rs.8278.06 crore is for Minor Irrigation projects. Irrigation potential created from Major & Medium projects under AIBP till March, 2011 is. 63.46 lakh hectare, while that created through Minor projects is 8.88 Lakh ha (upto January, 2011). Since inception altogether 293 major/medium projects have been included under AIBP out of which 141 projects have been completed and 5 projects have been deferred, leaving 147 projects as ongoing. Similarly, total 12768 surface Minor Irrigation Schemes have been sanctioned since inception of AIBP, out of which 9125 schemes have been completed.

Important features of guidelines for release of central assistance to states under AIBP are as under:-

1. Major/medium projects including Extension Renovation & Modernization projects benefiting drought prone/tribal areas and flood prone areas are eligible for 90% grant assistance.
2. Major/medium projects in the Special Category States and projects in undivided Karaput, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa are also eligible for 90% grant assistance.
3. Other major/medium projects are eligible for 25% grant assistance under AIBP.
4. Surface MI schemes fulfilling criteria specified in the guidelines of the Special Category States are eligible for 90% grant assistance and surface MI schemes of the non special category states fulfilling eligibility criteria and benefiting drought prone/tribal areas are also eligible for 90% grant assistance.
5. Maximum time allowed for completion of major/medium projects under AIBP is 4 years excluding the year of inclusion of the project under AIBP.
6. The Maximum time allowed for completion of surface MI schemes under AIBP is 2 years excluding the year of inclusion of the scheme under AIBP.
7. The state governments are required to enter into an MOU with the Ministry of Water Resources for timely completion of the project specifying year wise targets of potential creation under AIBP.
8. A new major/medium project may be included in AIBP only on completion of an ongoing project under AIBP on one to one basis. However, projects benefiting drought prone/tribal areas, projects in the states having irrigation development below national average and projects included in the Prime Minister’s package for agrarian distressed districts of the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra may be included in AIBP in relaxation to one to one criterion.

The State-Wise status of AIBP project is given as under: