WE THE PEOPLE
Allowing 751 per cent excess over estimated cost in respect of 77 works in one Division of Kmr Irri Dept has created ripples
Hence people demand impartial probe to identify persons responsible to curb such financial irregularities in future
By: Shirjeel/ Uzair Khan
Srinagar: In our earlier articles, we have apprised our readers about functional mechanism of J&K Irrigation & Flood Control Department and to refresh their memory, it becomes necessary to state that the construction and maintenance of lift irrigation schemes is vested with the said Department. The lift irrigation schemes irrigate 22.83 thousands hectares i.e. 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 schemes. The four schemes completed at a cost of Rs. 3.86 crore cultivated only 19 per cent of the envisaged area and unplanned execution of works has resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs. 4.27 crore. Besides time overrun on execution of schemes has ranged between 1 and 31 years while cost overrun ranged up to Rs. 33.86 crore.
The internal control mechanism of the Department as a whole has been found to be weak.
It needs to be mentioned that internal control mechanism in a Government Department is meant to ensure that its activities are carried out according to the prescribed rules and regulations and in an economical, efficient and effective manner. An effective internal control system minimizes the risk of errors and irregularities and helps in protecting resources against loss due to wastages, abuse and mismanagement. The internal control of the Department is mostly governed by Financial Rules, Public Works Code, etc. But a close scrutiny of records has revealed that the financial rules were not adhered to while implementing the schemes which not only resulted in underutilization of irrigation potential, non-completion of schemes in time, cost and time overrun of schemes, etc. but also incurring of irregular expenditure, creation of outstanding liabilities, etc. indicating ineffectiveness of internal control mechanism.
It has surfaced from the examination of records that the Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Division Sopore executed works amounting to Rs. 58.95 lakh; and EE, Irrigation and Flood Control Division Tral amounting to Rs. 99.49 lakh through mates and paid Rs. 1.58 crore on hand receipt/casual labour roll during 2003-07 in contravention of financial rules. It has also been seen that Rs. 14.59 lakh were paid by the EE, Irrigation and Flood Control Division, Tral in excess of the rates approved by the Government.
It has further emerged that eight original works, costing Rs. 45.47 lakh for lift irrigation scheme Tral were approved in June 2004 by the Superintending Engineer, Hydraulic Division, Shopian within two days of its submission for its execution departmentally, being of urgent nature. Payment of Rs. 18.22 lakh was made to the contractors between January 2007 and March 2007. Seeking approval and taking up of works for execution departmentally on the ground that the works were of emergent nature was prima-facie irregular, in view of the fact that the scheme was still incomplete till August 2008.
As per rules, the Chief Engineer/Superintending Engineers are empowered to sanction excess over estimates to the extent of 5 per cent.
But scrutiny of the records of the EE, Irrigation and Flood Control Division, Tral has revealed that execution of 77 works were allowed to be executed in excess of the estimate of Rs. 2.94 crore and the excess of Rs. 3.62 crore over the estimates of individual works ranged between 11 and 751 per cent. It has also been seen that the excess works were carried out by the original contractors and no tendering for the additional works was carried out.
Hence people demand impartial probe to identify persons responsible to curb such financial irregularities in future.
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