State pulled up over finances
Over 85 irrigation projects in the state have been delayed for over 30 years, revealed a report on finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The 515 ongoing projects cost Rs 97,101 crore and there has been a cost overrun in 401 projects amounting to Rs 44,061 crore. For the Dhule medium project, in 1988 it was estimated to be completed in four years with a cost of Rs 7 crore. However, it has taken 27 years and an expenditure of Rs 81.19 crore.
There were 515 ongoing irrigation projects in the five Irrigation Development Corporations (IDCs) under the water resources department. “Of these, 85 projects including 34 major, 23 medium and 28 minor ones have been delayed for more than 30 years. The 61 projects delayed for more than 20 years, 101 delayed for more than 15 years, 78 delayed for more than 10 years, 179 delayed for more five years and 11 delayed for up to five years,” the CAG has observed in the report.
The report has pointed out the cost escalations of these projects IDC wise. “The balance estimated cost of 515 ongoing projects was Rs 97,101 crore. Of these 515 projects, there was cost overrun in 401 projects amounting to Rs 44,061 crore, an increase of more than two times the original cost,” it said.
In the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC), 81 projects are ongoing that had an initial cost of Rs 18,641 crore, which has escalated to Rs 40,274 crore. The Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation has 63 projects with an initial cost of Rs 7,231 crore which went up to Rs 8,348 crore. The Tapi Irrigation Development Corporation has 37 projects with a cost of Rs 4,577 crore that went up to Rs 10,321 crore. The Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation has the highest — 270 projects with a cost of Rs 27,494 crore, which went up to Rs 73,797 crore. The Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Corporation has 64 projects with a cost of Rs 6,956 crore which went up to Rs 10,495 crore, the report has noted.
In another CAG report on the economic sector, a case study has been described about the Dhule medium project delayed for 27 years. “The project which was envisaged to be completed in four years (August 1988) at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore could not be completed even after a lapse of 27 years and an expenditure of Rs 81.19 crore. Significantly, the tribal population of Nawapur taluka that was expected to be the beneficiaries of this project also remained deprived of the intended benefits,” it said.
