Maharashtra Water Resources Deptt to prepare 'Vision-2020' document

The Hitavada CityLine; June 14, 2013

Scam-stung WRD decides 

to focus on ‘Vision-2020’

* Constitutes eight groups to study various issues ranging from timely completion of irrigation projects to institutional restructuring and reforms

Staff Reporter

After a series of controversies, White Paper on irrigation, constitution of special inquiry team (SIT) and getting caught in political storm; Water Resources Department (WRD) is now concentrating on reforms. It has decided to prepare ‘Vision-2020’ document and has constituted eight study groups for the purpose.

The decision to constitute groups with different study areas was taken in two meetings of senior officers of the department. The meetings were held on May 31 and June 1. Principal Secretaries of WRD and Command Area Development were present in the meetings. The areas identified for different groups are -- improving water use efficiency, timely completion of irrigation projects, institutional restructuring and reforms, human resources development, e-governance, renovation and improvement of old projects, hydro-power development, and research and development.

After the massive multi-crore scam came to fore in execution of irrigation projects involving an unholy nexus of contractors-bureaucrats-politicians, WRD’s style of functioning also came under scanner. The scam snowballed into a major controversy shaking the political establishment also. WRD was forced to admit to delays in completion of irrigation projects, in its own White Paper on Irrigation. The department’s internal mechanism also came under attack from Opposition parties. Meanwhile, to pacify the Opposition, Maharashtra Government appointed SIT under water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley.

Against this backdrop, WRD wanted to send a positive message. It is said that eight study groups have been constituted with this intention. These groups have been asked to make a presentation regarding their concept note on given topics on July 5, and submit the final report on September 5. Thus, these groups have been given a period of two months since presentation on concept note. A circular in this regard has been issued on June 12 by Deputy Secretary of WRD Sanjay Belsare. Interestingly, Belsare has specified that the study groups ‘must incorporate only those recommendations/suggestions that are within the ambit of the department and can be implemented with funds available through the department’.

The officer, Belsare, who has issued the circular is on two study groups namely the one on improving water use efficiency and another on human resources development. Apart from Belsare, C N Hangekar is the only other officer to work on two groups. Hangekar is member of two groups namely on institutional restructuring and reforms, and research and development. H T Mendhegiri, who is known for in-depth report bringing out sub-standard work of Left Bank Canal of Gosikhurd irrigation project, has been named head of the study group on institutional restructuring and reforms.

As far as officers from Vidarbha are concerned, there are four of them. From Amravati, Rajendra Pawar is a member of study group on timely completion of irrigation projects and R B Shukla heads group on renovation and improvement of old projects. From Nagpur, Chief Engineer V M Kulkarni heads the group on research and development while another officer S D Salunke is a member of the same group.

Study groups and members

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Study Group                            Members

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Improving water              R B Ghote (Head),

use efficiency                  A W Surve, D R Joshi,

                                         Dr Sanjay Belsare

Timely completion           Rajendra Pawar (Head),

of irrigation projects        S D Kulkarni, S D Giri,

                                         A R Kamble, H V Gunale

Institutional restructuring  H T Mendhegiri (Head),

and reforms                        C A Birajdar, R W Panse,

                                           C N Hangekar

Human resources              Dr Sanjay Belsare (Head),

development                      A B Patil, R S Sontakke,

E-governance                    T N Munde (Head),

                                           K M Shah, S K Ghanekar

Renovation and                 R B Shukla (Head),

improvement of                 I S Chaudhary,

old projects                        K B Kulkarni

Hydro-power                     D N Modak (Head),

development                      B S Swamy, A B Rajivan

Research and                    V M Kulkarni (Head),

development                     C N Hangekar,

                                          S D Salunkhe, M B Nakil

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