The Narmada Main Canal (NMC) also will now be completed only by the next fiscal, according to an admission made by the chief minister in a written reply to a question asked by an MLA before the Assembly on Monday. In his last budget speech, Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala had proposed to complete the NMC by this fiscal.

According to figures made available in various budget and Assembly documents, the government has informed that while Rs 17,499 crore have been spent on the project till date, a whopping Rs 19,963 crore will be needed for the completion of the massive canal network, if the full benefits of the Narmada are to be obtained.

The 2008-09 annual budget that was presented in the Assembly on Monday made a provision of Rs 3,255 crore, an increase of Rs 242 crore over last year. But given the total requirements, it is unlikely that this provision is going to give any major push to the project

For the record, since it came to power in 2001, the Modi government has revved up annual allocations for the project. Against the total expenditure of Rs 17,499.01 crore till date, over Rs 14,000 crore has come during Modi’s reign, with Rs 8528.82 crore coming in the last five years itself.

Even then, the remaining task seems daunting. In a written reply to a question by Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia, Modi admitted that out of the planned 90,389 kilometre canal network that would take Narmada waters to all its intended agricultural and other beneficiaries, the state has completed only 17,636 km by December 31, 2007.