Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation of several irrigation projects in Jharkhand, including Rs 2,391.36 crore Mandal dam that will provide irrigation to 19,604-hectare area in Palamu and Garhwa districts. Work on the ambitious Mandal dam began in 1972 but had been stalled since 1993. It shall be built on North Koel River under Barwadih block in Latehar district.
Apart from this, strengthening of various irrigation and lining projects including Kanhar Sone pipeline shall cost the government a sum of Rs. 3500 cr.
Addressing the gathering the Prime Minister said that these projects are a key part of the Government's effort to raise farmers' incomes, by lowering the cost of irrigation. "We consider farmers as 'annadata' (provider of food), unlike the previous governments who considered them as mere vote bank," the prime minister said.
“We’re spending ₹90,000 crore, or about ₹1 lakh crore for several irrigation projects in the country and if I would have to do politics I had distributed all these money among the farmers but, I chose to spend them in irrigation projects so that farmers generation would be benefitted,” added Modi slamming the policies of the opposition.
