Kartik Lokhande's blog

  * Of 22 projects with this much of irrigation potential, three have been omitted from the list citing ‘technical reasons’ * Permission lapses for Ranbodi feeder canal in Nagpur district By Kartik Lokhande  At least 33 irrigation projects in rainfed region of Vidarbha are affected by forest issues. In fact, of these projects with combined irrigation potential of 4,56,185 hectares, Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) has been able to complete only four projects with combined irrigation potential of 8,011 hectares only so far. Even if one considers the latest claims of VIDC that work on seven projects with total irrigation potential of 2,56,040 hectares is in progress, it still leaves irrigation potential of 1,92,134 hectares caught in the tangle of issues pertaining to diversion of forest land. “In short, only 1.70 per cent of targeted irrigation potential has been created in 8-10 years. This clearly shows callous and casual attitude of Maharashtr...

* The latest directives of Governor released on Wednesday ask the State Government to consider framing a policy for direct purchase of land for irrigation projects * Governor asks Planning Department to publish figures of region-wise plan expenditure since 2010-11 and indicate the extent of ‘shortfalls or diversions’ between regions * Rs 700 cr set aside for Gosikhurd national project By Kartik Lokhande  If the Government of Maharashtra wants to complete all 452 ongoing irrigation projects in the State, it may need a whopping amount of Rs 70,750 crore, almost 10 times the allocation made for irrigation sector in the State Budget for 2015-16. Though the number of ongoing projects in Vidarbha region is the highest, the maximum balance cost of projects in Rest of Maharashtra (RoM) is higher. As per the latest directives of the Governor of Maharashtra Ch Vidyasagar Rao, released on Wednesday, the proposed allocation for five inter-state projects is Rs 100 crore and for G...

* Industrial and municipal water requirements including those of Nagpur city by the year 2050 are proposed to be served utilising 253 Mm3 * At the price-level of 2007-08, the cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 8,294.26 crore * Chief Minister urges Union Minister Uma Bharti to declare Lower Painganga as national project By Kartik Lokhande Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Thursday, met Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti and urged her to expedite various irrigation projects in Maharashtra. Fadnavis also requested Uma Bharti to expedite the Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project in Vidarbha, and taking up Lower Painganga in the region as national project. Already, National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has taken up Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR). Wainganga (Gosikhurd)-Nalganga (Purna Tapi) Intra State Link Project is proposed by Maharashtra Government, and it envisages diversion of 2,721 Mm3 of wa...

* Blames structural changes and political powers in past 15 years for contributing to increase in regional imbalance * Asks the Government to expedite completion of pending irrigation projects in Vidarbha By Kartik Lokhande With the winter session of State Legislature getting prorogued on Wednesday, some more details of the much-awaited Kelkar Committee on balanced development of various regions have come out. Interestingly, the committee has suggested 41.45 per cent of allocation to Rest of Maharashtra (RoM) and lower allocation to Vidarbha region. Though there are several other provisions that may be welcomed by people from Vidarbha, the allocation formula may raise eyebrows. The committee, headed by noted economist Dr Vijay Kelkar, has suggested financial outlay to be classified into two categories -- divisible and non-divisible. The divisible outlay will be divided among three regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada, and RoM and these will not include Mumbai. Apart from water...

* 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...

  * This time, the said order informs the Water Resources Department about diversion of 998.10 hectares of forest land for Lower Penganga project, five months after receiving MoEF clearance Staff Reporter Democratic Front (DF) Government appears to be hell-bent on proving itself as a ‘decision delaying’ entity. A couple of days after issuing an ‘order’ regarding four-month old clearance for diversion of forest land in Vidarbha, DF Government has issued a similar ‘order’ after a delay of five months since receiving clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). A couple of days ago, DF Government had issued an ‘order’ about diversion of 2.0780 hectares of zudpi forest land for construction, strengthening and widening of National Highway-69 stretch between KM-3 and KM-59.300 on Nagpur-Saoner road. The fact was that MoEF had granted approval to diversion of said forest land in February 2014 itself and the officials of National Highway Authority of India (...

13-04-14 If the ratio is not revised, it would make ongoing as well as future projects unviable By Kartik Lokhande The new land acquisition law, under which compensation for land to be acquired is to be paid at market rates, is making the ongoing as well as proposed projects financially ‘not viable’. Considering this serious implication for a region like Vidarbha, the provisions in the law have triggered a demand for revision of benefit-cost ratio for various public projects. Under the new law Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the project-affected persons or whose land is to be acquired for a particular public project are to be paid compensation that will be four times the prevalent rates in rural areas and two times in urban areas. Though the law’s implementation is yet to pick up, the agencies like Public Works Department (PWD), Water Resources Department (WRD) etc have started studying the provisions of the ...

09-03-14 Only 8.12% of forest land required for irrigation projects is Zudpi Jungle By Kartik Lokhande The much-trumpeted ‘decision’ on Zudpi Jungle fails to provide any relief as far as irrigation projects in rainfed region of Vidarbha are concerned. Of a total forest land required for irrigation projects (excluding Gosikhurd and those under Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation) in Nagpur Division, only 8.12 per cent is ‘classified’ as ‘Zudpi Jungle’. Thus, unless there is dedicated effort to clear total forest land required for these projects, rainfed region of Vidarbha will continue to suffer for protection of forest. The irrigation projects in Vidarbha are under Water Resources Department (WRD) circles, Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), and Gosikhurd national irrigation project. As soon as the ‘decision’ regarding simplification of procedure for ‘diversion’ of Zudpi Jungle was announced by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan with much fanf...

SPECIAL REPORT Sudden declaration of wildlife sanctuary locks up mineral deposits worth Rs 10,000 crore * The case highlights how different Government departments work in isolation By Kartik Lokhande Passion at the cost of rationality, and working in isolation both harm the larger public interest if these things are related to the Government departments. In one such case, sudden declaration of Umred-Karhandla wildlife sanctuary in Nagpur district has locked up exploration of mineral wealth worth a whopping Rs 10,000 crore! On June 26, 2012, Maharashtra Government published a gazette notification vide which parts of Nagpur and Bhandara districts were clubbed to form new Umred-Karhandla wildlife sanctuary. As per the Forest Department notification, it broadly comprises Kitadi (Rithi), Ranbodi, Wanoda, Nawagaon villages of Nagpur district and Parsodi, Khapri, Jogikheda (Rithi), Chichgaon (Rithi) villages in Bhandara district. The total area of this wildlife sanctuary...

WRD concerned over protection of its immovable assets  * Asks its offices to appoint an officer to take care of estate management Staff Reporter Water Resources Department (WRD), like all other Government departments, has become concerned over management of its immovable assets across the State. Considering encroachments on its property at a few places, it has now asked offices to appoint an officer to take care of estate management. This is part of the State Government’s initiative of maintaining land records of various of its departments. As far as WRD is concerned, it acquires land for different irrigation projects. Besides, it has immovable assets in the form of colonies, godowns etc. Despite having such a huge land stock and constructed property in every district of the State, it did not have an officer dedicated to the task of keeping records in this regard. Of late, sources said, need was felt to ensure protection of immovable assets from encroachment. A...

DF Govt extends term of SIT on irrigation scam * The committee headed by Dr Madhavrao Chitaley was to submit its report by June 30, has been given extension till December 31 * With the extension, the Government has avoided smartly discussing various aspects related to SIT during monsoon and winter sessions of State Legislature By Kartik Lokhande What will come out of the Government-initiated probe into multi-crore irrigation scam? Taxpayers and betrayed farmers of Maharashtra will have to wait for the answer. As expected, Democratic Front (DF) Government has given an extension of six months to the Special Inquiry Team (SIT) headed by water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley. Following the pressure mounted by the opposition parties and media, after ‘The Hitavada’ expose of multi-crore irrigation scam in May last year, DF Government had announced constitution of SIT in December 2012. ‘The Hitavada’ had exposed influential contractors and contractors-turned-politicians of NCP, BJP and t...

Published in The Hitavada on June 13, 2013  Upper Wardha: 48 years of farmers’ deception * Cost escalation, poor quality work, diversion of water have raised serious questions about utility of the multi-crore irrigation project By Kartik Lokhande Dreams, dreams, and dreams. People of Vidarbha region are first shown dreams of various irrigation projects. Then, there are long delays on part of various Government machineries. Finally, when the dreams are ‘realised’, policy decisions are taken at the level of the Government and water from these projects is diverted to non-agricultural purposes, leaving the farmers high and dry in rainfed region. Though there are several such cases in the region, the case in point now is Upper Wardha irrigation project. Why this project? Because, despite cry of the farmers for long, it has caught attention of politicians only of late. The project will be in news for next two days as the main opposition party in Maharashtra -- Bharatiya Jana...

Funds for Vidarbha never diverted: Tatkare (Published in The Hitavada CityLine on July 7, 2013) * Water storage Gosikhurd project to be built up to 242 metres this year * Proposals for revised administrative approval to 45 works from Vidarbha pending before State Cabinet Staff Reporter Under fire over diversion of funds meant for irrigation development in Vidarbha region to other parts of Maharashtra over the years, Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare said, “This has never happened. Vidarbha’s funds were never diverted, and will not be diverted.” “I am stating this as Water Resources Minister of Maharashtra,” said a visibly irked Tatkare when he was asked about diversion of Vidarbha funds to Rest of Maharashtra. Adv Madhukar Kimmatkar, Expert Member of Vidarbha Statutory Development Board (VSDB), had pointed out some time ago that funds to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore were diverted from Vidarbha to Western Maharashtra in violation of Governor’s directives over last 16 years....

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...