Patna, Dec. 14: Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi today sought the Centre’s help to provide the eastern states irrigation facilities for ushering in a “second Green Revolution” in the region.

Addressing an International Growth Centre (IGC) Bihar Growth Conference in Patna, he said irrigation has been a stumbling block for enhancing agriculture output in the state. He said of 53 lakh hectares of land, 28.86 lakh hectares are not arable.

He said the state government has taken umpteen measures to put governance on the right track in the past six years, including policy decisions in agriculture.

“We have come out with a set of policy measures such as agriculture roadmap and agriculture cabinet, besides arming farmers with improved and high quality seeds, new technology, farm mechanisation and easy credit facilities. This is why we have recorded paddy production of 70 lakh metric tonnes this year,” Modi said.

The government has earmarked Rs 850 crore for co-operative banks to enable paddy procurement through various co-operative societies, including Primary Agriculture Co-operative Society, he said, adding that total output was recorded at 125 lakh metric tonnes in 2010-11.

However, for an irrigation plan, Modi sought the Centre’s attention towards the eastern states.

“The Centre has neglected the issue of irrigation for long. It is not possible for the states to prepare an ambitious irrigation plan on their own. If the Centre wants a second Green Revolution in the eastern region, then it has to come forward to carry out the irrigation projects,” the deputy chief minister said.

He attributed the Centre’s faulty policy behind the huge gap between the east and rest of the country.

“Why is there such a sharp divide between the eastern region and other states? Was there any fault in our economic planning that some states progressed while some failed miserably to achieve growth, toeing the same policy? The Centre should pay equal attention to the eastern region for the nation’s development,” said Modi.

Saibal Gupta, country co-director of IGC and member secretary of Asian Development Research Institute, said the government has identified the areas that need to be strengthened as agriculture, human development, delivery system and infrastructure and communication linkages. He added: “The government should pay more attention to agriculture development with emphasis on land management to achieve the level of self reliance.”