Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) features

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated in 2015 by amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD&GR), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC). PMKSY has been approved for implementation across the country with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore in five years.

The plan additionally integrates ministries, offices, organizations, research and financial institutions occupied with the creation and recycling of water under one platform. The idea behind the integration is to open the doors for optimal water budgeting in all sectors.

The primary objectives of PMKSY are;

1. Attract investments in irrigation system at field level
2. Extending the coverage of  cultivable areas in the country (‘Har Khet ko Pani)
3. Enhance ranch water use in order to minimize wastage of water,
4. Improve On-farm water use efficiency (“More crop per drop’) with distribution, management, field application, and extension activities.
5. Enhance the adoption of being precise in irrigation and other water-saving technologies to reduce wastage of water in a manner with end to end solutions on source creation.

PMKSY is to be implemented on projectised mode of implementation. The Programme architecture is to assume a ‘decentralized State level planning and projectised execution’ structure that allows States to draw up their own irrigation development plans based on District Irrigation Plan (DIP). A committee under the chairmanship of District Magistrate with members from Departments concerned, including district Forest officer, Lead Bank Officer, etc. at the district level is empowered to finalise the DIP. Likewise, State Irrigation Plan (SIP) will be an amalgamation of DIPs for operative convergence platforms for all water sector activities including drinking water & sanitation, application of science & technology, etc. through comprehensive SIP. The State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by the Chief Secretary of the respective States is authorized to sanction projects, supervise its implementation and monitoring. Similarly, National Executive Committee (NEC) is constituted under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog to supervise programme implementation, allocation of resources, inter-ministerial coordination, monitoring & performance assessment, addressing administrative issues. At the National level, programme is to be supervised and monitored by an Inter-Ministerial National Steering Committee (NSC) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister with Union Ministers concerned Ministries as members. The guidelines of the PMKSY and overall approval will be issued over the approval of Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture, in consultation with the concerned Department/Ministries.