WE THE PEOPLE
Unplanned execution of Lift Irrigation Schemes has failed to irrigate available potential
Hence people demand probe to identify persons responsible for causing severe set back to crop production in J&K
By: M. Shirjeel
Srinagar: The Irrigation and Flood control Department was created in 1959 with the objective of providing assured irrigation facilities to cultivable/cultivated land in the State by renovation/modernization of the existing canals and construction of new canals. The Department is also responsible for construction of lift irrigation schemes besides their maintenance, upgradation and modernization.
The lift irrigation schemes irrigate 22.83 thousand hectares (7 per cent) of cultivable area, but a review of the lift irrigation schemes in the State has revealed that the schemes had been executed in an unplanned manner and were incomplete for more than 20 years in some cases. Even the irrigation potential created was not fully utilized which has adversely affected the contribution of lift irrigation scheme.
It is startling to learn that delay in release of GOI funds by the Planning/Administrative department has ranged between 30 and 252 days. More astonishing to learn is that four schemes stand completed at a cost of Rs. 3.86 crore but cultivated only 19 per cent of the envisaged area. Besides unplanned execution of works has resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs. 4.27 crore. Time overrun on execution of schemes has ranged between 1 and 31 years while cost overrun has ranged up to Rs. 33.86 crore.
It has come to light that internal control mechanism of the Department has been weak, which has resulted in irregular payments and irregular execution of works in a big way. Besides the lift irrigation schemes (LIS) cater only to seven per cent of the cultivable land in the State. No perspective plan has been framed by the Department separately with regard to construction of lift irrigation schemes. The complete data pertaining to lift irrigation schemes viz., details of schemes taken up, completed, envisaged/ created and utilized area, investment made and return there from has not been maintained by the Chief Engineers of Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The schemes stand taken up without prioritization and as a result, a number of schemes have remained incomplete despite being under construction for the last 20-26 years.
It was interesting to observe that for providing irrigation facilities to 32 villages with a CCA of 12000 acres, the EE, ID, Akhnoor had incurred in March 2004 an expenditure of Rs. 44.17 lakh on survey work for construction of LIS at Ambran, which included an amount of Rs. 38 lakh paid in June 2003 to a firm namely WAPCOS for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR). The DPR was sent, after a lapse of six months, to the Central Power Research Station (CPRS), Khadakwasla, and Pune (GOI) to have a model study of the schemes. But scrutiny of records has revealed that no follow up action was taken by the Department to get the model study conducted. In February 2007, the Joint Director, CPRS sought a copy of the DPR for offering expert opinion on the subject as the original one sent to the agency was not traceable. The copy of DPR as called for had not been sent to CPRS till September 2008. Non- finalization of the DPR thus resulted in the investment of Rs. 44.17 lakh remaining unfruitful for more than four years. Thus the work was not taken up as a result of non-allotment of funds but due to non-conducting of model study which was held up due to non-submission of DPR to CPRS.
Hence people demand probe to identify persons responsible for causing severe set back to crop production in J&K
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