LAHORE, April 13: The World Bank announced on Thursday to give a three-year development policy loan of Rs18 billion to the Punjab government for the improvement and maintenance of its huge irrigation network.

An announcement to this effect was made by WB’s Water Sector chief Manuel Contigoch during a meeting with Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi here at his secretariat.

Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, P&D Chairman Suleiman Ghani, Secretary Irrigation Arif Nadeem and other senior officials were also present on this occasion.

The official who led a delegation announced that the bank would issue the loan in three annual instalments of Rs6 billion each, sources said.

They said the Punjab government was already negotiating with the WB for the loan which would be utilised from the next financial year. It would be utilised to improve and maintain huge irrigation structures and canal network in the province. The loan would help the provincial government strengthen its irrigation system, they said.

Sources said the World Bank official announced the loan after acknowledging that the provincial government had all capability to face the challenges of poverty and social development.

They said the chief minister informed the bank official that farmers’ organisations had been given the canal water channel control and that the role of irrigation patwaris had been eliminated.

The chief minister said the irrigation system was being strengthened through modern research and management since the agricultural and economic reforms programme could effectively be implemented only through the better management of water resources.

He said local organisations had been empowered with regard to better water management of small canals and water channels.

A new system for the exchange of information regarding the availability of water in canals had also been evolved. All such information in this connection was available at the Punjab government website.

The chief minister said to store water and ensure its judicious use, a huge programme aimed at the construction, repair and restoration of barrages and head-works was being implemented. This would lead to the cultivation of thousands of acres of barren land.

He said the patwari culture had been eliminated through introduction of flat rate of water tax. Now the tax was assessed by farmers themselves and the same system had also been evolved for collecting the social security, curtailing the role of social security officers, he said.

He said in order to ensure an equitable water distribution in all areas of the province, solid measures were being taken while foolproof arrangements had also been made to eliminate water theft.

He said the monitoring process had further been made effective in this regard. In order to check the loss of water and to utilise existing water resources to the maximum, a comprehensive strategy was being pursued, he said.

The chief minister added the irrigation system was being computerised for the apportionment of canal water and extensive monitoring of its usage.

Ms Manuel Contigoch assured the chief minister that the World Bank would provide ample resources for strengthening the water sector in Punjab.