* 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)
Comments
Post a Comment