* BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis discloses some of the contents of the
explosive report, which is yet to be tabled in State Legislature
* Panel finds ‘irregularities’ and ‘violation of norms’ in grant of
mobilisation advance, change in scope of projects, cost updation, grant
of revised administrative approval to irrigation projects
By Kartik Lokhande
MUMBAI/NAGPUR, June 13: The contents of much-awaited report of Special
Inquiry Team (SIT) headed by eminent water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley,
which has been submitted to the Maharashtra Government but is yet to be
tabled before State Legislature, were disclosed by BJP MLA Devendra
Fadnavis on Friday.
As per the contents disclosed by Fadnavis, much to the shock and
surprise of the Government, Chitaley Committee has indicted Water
Resources Minister, Executive Director, Chief Accounts and Finance
Officer and other top officers for various irregularities pertaining to
irrigation project works. Much to the discomfort of Congress-NCP
Government, the panel has mentioned in clear terms that the files for
Revised Administrative Approval (RAA) should have gone to Finance
Department first and then respective Irrigation Development Corporation
(IDC) should have granted that. “The fact that this aspect is not known
to the Government cannot be accepted and it is difficult to digest,”
Fadnavis said quoting from the yet-to-be-made-public report of SIT.
Fadnavis made a reference to the irrigation scam while initiating the
debate on supplementary demands in Legislative Assembly, on Friday. He
then revealed the explosive contents of the Chitaley Committee report,
catching the Government off-guard. He accused the Government of trying
to suppress the scam. “The report has indicted Chairperson of Irrigation
Development Corporations, who is Water Resources Minister himself.
Hence, the Government does not want discussion on the committee report,”
he said. He also flayed the Government for trying to table the SIT
report and Action Taken Report both on the last day of the ongoing
session of State Legislature, to avoid discussion on the same. Fadnavis
read out the contents of the report in the Assembly.
“The committee has considered all the evidences given by the Opposition.
It has pointed out violation of norms and irregularities. Besides, it
has recommended independent probe into the matters of payment of
mobilisation advance, increase in estimates, updation of cost, changes
in design and scope of projects, etc,” said Fadnavis.
Though the committee found that a lot of irregularities brought to its
notice did not fit into the Terms of Reference given to it by the
Government, it has recommended independent probe into those. Apart from
the irregularities mentioned above, it has referred to violation of
norms pertaining to paramters regarding finalising land for barrages,
rules for proposing new works and contracts, payment of power bills for
lift irrigation schemes, quality control in works of coal-grouting etc.
In clear terms, it has stated that the cost of 28 projects went up
because of change in design. The committee examined 61 projects.
Other observations include grant of administrative approval to projects
without finalising the design. Due to incomplete design, there is no
sufficient information on design, technical matters. In fact, the work
is commenced based on incomplete information. “Getting ‘administrative
approval’ on rough report is a major fault,” it has stated.
Quoting from the Chitaley Committee report, Fadnavis pointed out that
design change and other irregularities and faults were found in cases of
Bembla and Krishna Koyna projects under Vidarbha IDC; Kurha Wadoda,
Muktainagar, Sulwade, Bodwad, Lower Tapi in Tapi IDC. The panel stressed
on need for ‘more enquiry’. In case of Gosikhurd project, all officers
should be held responsible, Fadnavis said.
Action recommended
against top officers
In cases of illegal
grant of Revised Administrative Approval (RAA), Chitaley Committee has
recommended strict action against the Chief Engineer who gave sanction
to initial administrative approval. In four projects, no RAA was granted
but excess expenditure was incurred. The panel has also mentioned about
‘total financial irregularity’.
The committee has held the CAFO and Executive Director as responsible
for excess expenditure on various projects. In case of grant of RAA at
the level of Irrigation Development Corporations (IDCs), the committee
has mentioned that the responsibility shifts on to Member and Chairman
of IDC (who is Water Resources Minister). The panel has recommended to
the Government to take decision in this regard. In its probe, Chitaley
Committee found 14 ‘illegal RAAs’ between October 7, 2006 and August 20,
2009 in Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC); two in Tapi
IDC; and 11 in Godavari Marathwada IDC.
‘VIDC never considered
observations of CAG’
Other
observations of the committee, as revealed by Devendra Fadnavis, include
no proper stipulated procedure for RAA/AA, no master plan for
irrigation projects, no dialogue with affected persons, absence of
important secretaries of various departments who were part of IDC
governing council from crucial meetings, addition of components to
projects without giving independent project status to the same,
non-assessment of quality of work, nexus of contractors, etc. It has
also mentioned that VIDC ‘never considered’ observations of Comptroller
and Auditor General (CAG). The panel has recommended policy changes.
‘2.31 lakh hectares of
irrigation is of no use’
Fadnavis
pointed out that the irrigation potential had increased by 5.38 lakh
hectares in the State. Of this, increase of 2.43 lakh hectare in
irrigation potential was attributed to projects being executed by
Irrigation Development Corporations. “However, the SIT report states
that irrigation of 2.31 lakh hectares is of no use,” he said. Commenting
on Economic Survey figures, the panel has stated that the survey does
not portray reality as Talathi and Agricultural Assistant measure the
area under irrigation and furnish the figures in a delayed manner.
Hence, these figures are not reliable.
The report will bring
out truth: Tatkare
Water
Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare, commenting on the matter in
Legislative Assembly, said that tabling of the Chitaley Committee report
would ‘bring out the truth’. “We had brought out the White Paper on
Irrigation to present the latest status of irrigation sector. Some
issues have been raised pertaining to projects executed to increase
irrigation in the State. The Government appointed Chitaley Committee to
look into these issues. Once the report is tabled in the House, truth
will come out,” Tatkare said.
Chitaley Panel confirms ‘The Hitavada’ expose on irrigation scam
The
disclosure is significant considering that the irrigation scam has been
occupying the centrestage of public and political attention for the
past over two years. It all started in early 2012 with Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan and Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil
questioning as to how the area under irrigation increased only by 0.1
per cent in past 10 years despite spending Rs 72,000 crore.
‘The Hitavada’ investigated the matter and came out with an explosive
and revealing series of reports titled ‘Black Paper on Irrigation’. In
its reports, based on piles of official notes and documents, ‘The
Hitavada’ brought to fore several shocking irregularities and unholy
nexus of contractors-bureaucrats-
politicians that siphoned off
funds meant for irrigation development. It revealed specific instances
of illegal grant of mobilisation and machinery advance to contractors,
changes in design and scope of various irrigation projects to increase
the cost and benefit contractors, procedure by-pass patronised by
political leaders and top officers to facilitate grant of Revised
Administrative Approval (RAA) in a rushed manner, exertion of political
influence, sub-standard work, taking up works even without adequate
allocation of funds, etc.
‘The Hitavada’ series created sensation and the issue snowballed into a
major political controversy in the nation. It stirred up political
atmosphere in Maharashtra, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was
Water Resources Minister when these irregularities had taken place, had
to resign from his post. Democratic Front (DF) Government had to issue a
‘White Paper on Irrigation’ to give the latest status of all irrigation
projects in the State. The Opposition parties took up the issue and
sought in-depth probe into the multi-crore irrigation scam through
Special Investigation Team.
Bowing to the widespread public and political pressure, DF Government
ordered probe into the matter through a Special Inquiry Team (SIT)
headed by eminent water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley. However, the
Government played its trick and did not include the ‘irregularities’
into the Terms of Reference given to the committee. This kicked up
another controversy, and the Opposition leaders ensured that the
committee at least accepted the documents pertaining to irregularities.
13-06-14
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