ACB to probe Gosikhurd, Jigaon, Lower Painganga irrign projects


* Govt takes cognisance of complaint filed by Nagpur-based NGO ‘Jan Manch’ and orders probe
 

By Kartik Lokhande 

The BJP-led Maharashtra Government, on Tuesday, ordered probe into various irregularities in execution of Gosikhurd national project, Jigaon, and Lower Painganga irrigation projects in Vidarbha region. Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) started open enquiry into the irregularities in these projects.
Girish Mahajan, Water Resources Minister, disclosed this to media after the Legislative Assembly was adjourned for the day in the afternoon hours. While announcing that ACB will conduct the probe, Mahajan said that the probe into Gosikhurd national project across river Wainganga was being ordered taking cognisance of a complaint lodged by Nagpur-based organisation Jan Manch. Earlier, on February 18, Maharashtra Government had ordered the ACB to conduct open enquiry into irregularities alleged in two different petitions regarding irrigation projects under VIDC. Accordingly, the ACB had urged Water Resources Department (WRD) to make available necessary documents, technical experts, accounts experts. WRD also made those available these to the ACB. And, the ACB issued orders for open enquiry into Gosikhurd, Jigaon, and Lower Painganga projects a couple of days ago, said Mahajan.
Between 2008 and 2010, various tenders relating to works under Gosikhurd irrigation project were allotted with VIDC officials favouring politically influential contractors. The unholy nexus of contractors-bureaucrats-politicians was at work. Even the due procedure was by-passed. Mahajan, while announcing the probe on Tuesday, told reporters that in several cases, mobilisation/machinery advance was given to contractors though there was no such provision in tender document. Other irregularities included wrong estimates, by-passing laid-down procedure to grant Revised Administrative Approval (RAA), cost updating to favour contractors etc.
On February 26 this year, Jan Manch had submitted to the ACB a complaint running into 3,134 pages in 12 volumes demonstrating a sample case study of one single tender in Gosikhurd project. The complaint explained the ‘modus operandi of manipulation’ by officials of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) and contractors. In its complaint, Jan Manch had found ‘massive irregularities’ indicating ‘conspiracy, cheating, and collusion’ between officials of VIDC and contractors.
Some of the prominent observations in Jan Manch complaint included exorbitant tender estimates, tender authorities manipulating the original cost estimate of tender after receiving bids to ‘adjust’ the bid to within 5 per cent mark to avoid approval of Finance Department, lack of adequate experience of bidders, successful bidders not having adequate bid capacity and concealing facts and misleading VIDC, ‘severely rigged’ bidding process, etc.
 ‘The Hitavada’ had highlighted these and various other irregularities and exposed multi-crore irrigation scam, through its investigation series ‘Black Paper on Irrigation’ published in the year 2012. Since then, BJP had been pressing for action against those involved. The then Congress-NCP Government had appointed a Special Inquiry Team (SIT) headed by eminent water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley to conduct probe into the irrigation scam. Though the SIT brought out several irregularities and confirmed ‘The Hitavada’ expose, it did not name directly Ajit Pawar, the then Deputy Chief Minister during whose tenure as Water Resources Minister, these irregularities took place.
The SIT report had stated clearly that Irrigation Development Corporations (IDCs) did not have powers to grant RAA to projects. Still, in various cases, RAA was granted and the responsibility for this rested with Member and Chairman of the IDCs. Interestingly, Water Resources Minister is Chairman of IDCs. During the period 2006-09, NCP bigwig Ajit Pawar was Water Resources Minister.
Further, the SIT headed by Dr Madhavrao Chitaley had recommended ‘in-depth probe’ into Jigaon irrigation project in Buldhana district, and Dhamni project in Kolhapur district. In the Action Taken Report (ATR) tabled by the then Congress-NCP Government, it was mentioned that the probe was already in progress through Vigilance Squad.
Taking a cue from the observations made in the SIT, Girish Mahajan announced that probe would be conducted through the ACB into Jigaon and Lower Painganga projects also.

‘Jan Manch ready to extend co-operation to ACB’

Reacting to Mahajan’s announcement of ACB probe into Gosikhurd, Adv Anil Kilor, President of Jan Manch, told ‘The Hitavada’ that he would thank Maharashtra Government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan for taking necessary steps to curb corruption in irrigation sector. “This action will boost people’s confidence in the Government that it will act against corruption irrespective of involvement of politically influential entities,” he said. Adv Kilor said that Jan Manch was ready to extend co-operation to ACB in conducting probe, and also share all technical details if sought. 

(Filed on March 31, 2015)

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