Rs 2,672 crore available with VIDC, but cannot be utilised


* For want of revised administrative approvals to various works related to different projects, and land acquisition issues, the amount cannot be utilised

By Kartik Lokhande 
First, it was multi-crore irrigation scam. Now, it is over-cautiousness at the level of the Government. In both cases, irrigation development of rainfed region of Vidarbha has got affected. A shocking aspect has come to fore that since expose of irrigation scam, a huge amount of Rs 2,672 crore with Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) could not be utilised for a variety of reasons.
Previously, an unholy nexus of contractors-bureaucrats-politicians had siphoned off funds meant for creation of irrigation facilities in Vidarbha region. There was a web of deceit, violations of laid-down norms and procedures, by-passing of authorities, and pressure from politically-connected contractors, through which was effected the massive irrigation scam involving thousands of crores of rupees meant for irrigation development in the region that has been witnessing suicides of farmers exposed to Nature’s vagaries. ‘The Hitavada’ had blown the lid off the multi-crore scam through its series ‘Black Paper on Irrigation’.

The expose stirred up the political atmosphere. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took the erstwhile Congress-NCP led Democratic Front (DF) Government to task. Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar had to resign from the ministerial post. The then Government brought out ‘White Paper’ on irrigation and tried to white-wash the misdeeds. A Special Inquiry Team (SIT) under eminent water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley was constituted, and it indicted the political bosses for what went wrong. However, instead of taking action against the powerful politicians and politically-connected contractors, DF Government chose to make officers the scapegoats.

As a result, the officers started being over-cautious while preparing, submitting, and signing the proposals for revised administrative approvals (RAA). This, too, has affected the irrigation development in Vidarbha. According to sources, an amount of Rs 2,672 crore could not be spent between the financial year 2011-12 and October 2014. Though funds are spent from the annual financial allocation, crores of rupees remain unspent as various works of different irrigation projects could not be done for want of RAA. It is learnt that as many as works relating to 49 projects under VIDC are waiting revised administrative approvals, and 56 projects are waiting for land acquisition and rehabilitation issues to be sorted out. The proposals for revised administrative approvals are with State Technical Advisory Committee, and most of the projects of which work has been stalled are in the category of minor irrigation.

R B Shukla, Executive Director of VIDC, told ‘The Hitavada’ that the amount could not be spent as proposals were awaiting revised administrative approvals, nod in land acquisition and rehabilitation cases, and forest and environmental clearances. Further, he said, vacancies of field-level staffers was almost 33-35 per cent of the sanctioned strength and this was affecting day-to-day progress of many a project. “In the recent meetings called by the Governor of Maharashtra, and Chief Minister, we have made some suggestions. We are hopeful of positive developments,” he said.

For the financial year, the total allocation for VIDC is Rs 3,715 crore. Of this, the Government has released Rs 1,896 crore so far. And, of this also, Rs 1,296 crore could be utilised till the end of the month of October.

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Financial Year     Unutilised allocation

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2011-12                 Rs 863 crore

2012-13                 Rs 2,282 crore

2013-14                 Rs 2,361 crore

2014-15                 Rs 2,672 crore

(Till Oct 2014)

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(20-11-14)

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