Target 15,000 farm ponds: 141 completed

The target set for digging of farm ponds in Sambalpur district this year is abysmally low.  As per the reports, for 2010-2011 a target of 15,000 farm ponds across nine blocks of the district had been set in the annual action plan. But till August, only 141 farm ponds have been dug up as yet. And this despite the fact that 7,616 applications had been received from beneficiaries and 4,783 work orders issued against it. Although work on 4,458 farm ponds has reportedly been initiated against the 4,783 work orders, only 141 have been completed. While 2,000 each farm ponds have been targeted in the rain-fed blocks of Rengali, Jujomura, Kuchinda, Jamankira, Bamra, Rairakhol and Naktideul, 750 farm ponds have been targeted in Maneswar block and 250 in Dhankauda block. However, work has been completed in over seven farm ponds each in Rengali and Rairakhol blocks, while work on 26 each in Dhankauda and Bamra blocks has been completed.  Attributing the delay in completion of farm ponds to lack of job card holders under NREGS, the farm pond beneficiaries informed that the job card holders prefer working on road projects rather than digging of earth. Moreover, since use of machinery is not allowed under NREGS there was little they could do. Suggesting that digging of farm ponds should be taken as solitary work under NREGS in villages, they said that such a step will only push available job card holders for early completion of farm ponds.  Sambalpur Zilla Parishad president Sobharam Pradhan said that he was aware of the fact and directed officials to work out a strategy so that the ongoing work on farm ponds is completed at the earliest.