Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The state government has imposed a 30 per cent cut in the funds of the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation, while Rs 300 crore demanded for compensating farmers for land acquisition has not been released, officials said. As a result, farmers will have to wait longer for their rightful payments.
For the financial year 2025–26, the corporation had a budget of around Rs 3,600 crore. Of this, Rs 3,100 crore was allocated for salaries, allowances, ongoing and maintenance of projects, while Rs 550 crore was sought for compensating farmers whose land was acquired for dam projects.
By December 2025, the government had released around Rs 2,200 crore in phases, including nearly Rs 150 crore meant for farmers. Officials were expecting the remaining funds by the end of March to clear dues of contractors and farmers. However, by the end of the financial year, nearly 30 per cent of the sanctioned funds were cut. Additionally, the Rs 300 crore sought for land acquisition compensation was not released, and sources said funding for several projects was reduced by up to 70 per cent.
Minimal funds for Lower Dudhana project
For the Lower Dudhana dam, Rs 20 crore was requested to compensate affected farmers, but only Rs 1.8 crore was sanctioned. A similar situation was reported in the Vishnupuri project, which received only 18 per cent of the demanded funds.
Contractors queue up at irrigation office
On March 31, contractors working on various projects gathered at the Irrigation Bhavan, hoping to receive their pending payments from the available budget. Long queues were seen outside the offices of the executive director and chief accounts officer.