UTTAR PRADESH- Budget 1998-99 State Finances in a Shambles

by short-term and sectarian political gains, now the issue of water is being looked at from the angle of natural resource management as well. This is evident from the fact that Tamil Nadu government has launched two years ago a massive drive to restore and maintain the irrigation network in the Cauvery delta. The master plan which promises to cover the entire network of about 12.000 km of canals in phases within a span of five years, envisages a huge investment of over Rs 140 crore. Financial resources are being tapped from the state's own budget without any central or external assistance and thousands of miles of canals in the delta that have remained uncared for long, are being targeted for restoration.