Boost to pani panchayats

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to provide multi-disciplinary support to pani panchayats to augment irrigation facilities and boost agriculture production.  The blue print for this institutional framework was discussed at a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik here. It was decided that coordinated efforts will be made at the pani panchayat level for providing momentum to participatory irrigation management.  Different field-level activities like water use efficiency, crop diversification, crop intensification, integrated nutrient management, marketing of agriculture produce and soil testing, now being implemented by various line departments, will be dovetailed at the pani panchayat level.  So far 4,446 pani panchayats have been made operational in 30 districts out of which 2,563 are under major and medium irrigation projects and 1,883 under minor irrigation projects. It has been proposed to identify one community resource person in each pani panchayat from among the farmer members.   It has also been mooted to give dealership of all agricultural inputs such as seeds, chemical fertiliser, bio-fertiliser, bio-pesticides, chemical pesticides to pani panchayats.  One pani panchayat has near about 300 to 600 hectare ayacut area. One Pani Panchayat Development Team (PPDT) having four experts from irrigation, agriculture, soil conservation and institutional development will be put in charge of 20 pani panchayats.   A total number of 222 such PPDTs will be formed in the State. The teams will be guided and supplemented by district-level teams. The Chief Secretary advised the departments to have online data-base of pani panchayats with data like map, area, ayacut area, present agricultural status, projected agricultural status with crop planning.   The calendar of water supply will be prepared by pani panchayats with crop planning to be implemented by district- level coordination committees proposed to be constituted under chairmanship of collectors. The Chief Secretary also advised the departments to promote bio-fertiliser and mechanisation of agricultural operations in ayacut areas of the pani panchayats through systematic planning.  The departments have been asked to have a comprehensive demonstration of all agricultural interventions in one pani panchayat area to build confidence among the farmers.