Ganga Kalyana Irrigation Scheme
A fully funded borewell and pump-set for small and marginal SC, ST, OBC and minority farmers who depend entirely on rain.
Run by: Social Welfare Department / KMDC, Government of Karnataka
- Most districts
- Up to ₹3 lakh
- Five hard-rock districts
- Up to ₹4 lakh
- For
- SC / ST / OBC / minority
- Holding
- About 1.2 to 5 acres
- Running since
- 1 February 1997
- Peak year (2017-18)
- 23,344 beneficiaries
Overview
A rainfed field in Karnataka is one bad monsoon away from nothing. Ganga Kalyana targets the farmers least able to sink a borewell themselves — small and marginal cultivators from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities — and funds the whole irrigation package: drilling the borewell, and installing the pump-set to lift the water.
The assistance is substantial because a borewell is expensive: financial support of up to ₹3 lakh for an individual borewell project in most districts, rising to ₹4 lakh in five hard-rock districts (Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara and Tumakuru) where boring goes deeper. It is delivered through the Social Welfare Department and the community development corporations, and is aimed at holdings between about 1.2 and 5 acres.
Ganga Kalyana has been running since 1 February 1997, and was briefly merged into the central Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) poverty-alleviation programme from 1 April 1999 before continuing as a standalone irrigation scheme. Five separate corporations identify beneficiaries and approve borewells for their respective communities — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Development Corporation (SC), Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation (ST), D. Devraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation (OBC), Vishwakarma Development Corporation, and the Minorities Development Corporation. In its most recorded year, FY2017-18, the scheme reached 23,344 beneficiaries statewide.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- A funded borewell and pump-set, so a rainfed field gets an assured water source.
- Up to ₹3 lakh in most districts, and up to ₹4 lakh in five hard-rock districts where drilling is deeper.
- Targeted at small and marginal SC, ST, OBC and minority farmers who cannot fund a borewell alone.
- Delivered through the Social Welfare Department and community development corporations.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Permanent resident of Karnataka, aged 18 or above
- Belonging to SC, ST, OBC or a minority community
- Small or marginal farmer holding roughly 1.2 to 5 acres
- Land dependent on rain, with no assured irrigation
Not covered
- Holdings already served by assured irrigation
- Land outside the roughly 1.2–5 acre band
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Aadhaar card
- Caste / category certificate
- Income certificate
- RTC (pahani) land record
- Bank passbook
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply to the corporation for your category
Download the application from your district website's citizen-services section, or apply to the corporation matching your category (SC, ST, OBC or minority). Apply against the open call for the budget year.
- 2
District and Taluk verification
The application goes to the District Magistrate, and is verified by the Taluk-level committee, before the department processes it further — checking holding size, category and lack of irrigation.
- 3
Borewell drilled and pump installed
On sanction, the borewell is drilled and the pump-set installed under the scheme, up to the district’s ceiling.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- Delays in verification or sanction should first be raised with the concerned development corporation (matching your category) or the District Magistrate's office handling the application.
- If unresolved, escalate to Janaspandana (iPGRS) — Karnataka's general public-grievance system — on the toll-free helpline 1902, through the portal at ipgrs.karnataka.gov.in, or at a Bapuji Seva Kendra.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ganga Kalyana for?
Small and marginal farmers from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities who depend on rain and cannot afford to sink a borewell themselves.
How much is funded?
Up to ₹3 lakh for an individual borewell in most districts, and up to ₹4 lakh in five hard-rock districts where boring has to go deeper.
Does it cover the pump as well as the borewell?
Yes. The scheme funds the whole package — drilling the borewell and installing the pump-set to lift the water.
Which corporation should I apply through?
Whichever matches your category — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Development Corporation for SC applicants, Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation for ST, D. Devraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation for OBC, Vishwakarma Development Corporation for the Vishwakarma community, or the Minorities Development Corporation.
How old is this scheme, and has it always worked this way?
Ganga Kalyana has run since 1 February 1997. It was briefly folded into the central SGSY poverty-alleviation programme from 1 April 1999 before continuing as its own standalone irrigation scheme — the ₹3-4 lakh borewell funding described here reflects the scheme's current structure, not its 1997 terms.
How many farmers actually get this every year?
It varies with the budget each year. In the highest recorded year, FY2017-18, the scheme reached 23,344 beneficiaries statewide.
Facts checked against sw.kar.nic.in on 20 October 2026. editorial policy.