In Maharashtra a scam of Rs 72,000 Crore has been exposed by Vijay Pandhare, chief engineer (water resources department) and member of the state-level technical advisory committee.
He sent 15-page note to the State Government and blamed the politician-officer-contractor nexus for the mess.
The Note was sent in May 2012 and it became Public in September.
The State provided Rs 7000 crore in the Budget.
The liability exceeds Rs.1,000,00 Crore!
The estimates were revised arbitrarily, in one case from Rs 200 Crore to 650 Crore,
Over 3000 such Projects were completed( on paper)
32 Major Projects were cleared by Ajith Pawar in three months
Productivity of the scheme is not even 0 .1%
Excerpts of the Note:
‘In an explosive revelation, a whistle-blower in the state government has said a staggering Rs 35,000 crore was siphoned off and wasted on dud irrigation projects in the past decade. The Maharashtra government has spent Rs 70,000 crore on such projects across the state during this period….
Pandhare further revealed that IDCOM, a corporation formed by the irrigation department, undertook 227 medium projects for lift irrigation schemes. “They could not be completed. No one benefited from these schemes and public money was wasted. Who is responsible for this?”
The letter said 3,000 such lift irrigation schemes were completed, but not even 1% of them are functional. “Despite knowing the history, estimates and tenders worth Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore are formulated,” it said.
Pandhare stated that the annual budget of the state irrigation department is around Rs 7,000 crore. “Yet, how is it that the state has incurred a liability of nearly Rs one lakh crore to execute the balance ongoing projects? A prudent government would never take such a decision. We need to introspect on it,” he said.
The chief engineer gave the example of the Nardave project in Konkan, the cost of which was revised from Rs 200 crore to Rs 650 crore after the dam height was increased without proper sanction. “The rate estimate of this project is fit case for detailed investigation. The contractor was provided an exorbitant rate,” said his note.
“Likewise, crores of rupees were paid as false claims towards machinery idle charges and sanctioned every year by the executive director. He had no such power. Yet he sanctioned it along with the minister in a hurry, without the permission of the government,” it said. The same modus operandi was used in Kondhane, Balganga and Hetwane projects in Konkan. “Officers who attempt to vet or investigate are transferred,” said Pandhare in his note.
In the Konkan region, minor irrigation projects are approved and immediately a proposal to increase the height of the dam is mooted and sanctioned at the level of corporation. “Rates are increased under political pressure, tenders are floated and managed. This has been going on in Konkan for the last 20 years,” he claimed.
Pandhare suggested that 30-40 proposed projects in Konkan be stopped because the water utilization in this region is not even 10%. “All tenders of projects which have incurred less than 20% of the estimated expenditure must be thoroughly investigated, and if required, cancelled in public interest,” it added.
The chief engineer also gave the example of the Manjarpada-1 project. The cost is Rs 500 crore to create water storage of 500 mcft. The officer said only Rs 15-16 lakh was required per mcft. “Irrigation department’s investigation wing, which actually prepares the estimates, is literally non-existent. Hence, regional officers of the corporation themselves make the estimates without check. In reality, contractors themselves make the estimates,’
http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/16328394.cms
The issue was raised in the Assembly during the last sesion and no action has been taken yet.
Now The Deputy CM of Maharashtra Ajith Pawar,nephew of Union Agriculture Minister and the leader of NCP has tendered his resignation
In support of him NCP Ministers in the Maharashtra Cabinet have submitted their resignations to their State Party Chief.
This move is to threaten the Congress led Maharashtra Government headed by Prithviraj Chavan.
On contacted Sharad Pawar was taken by surprise.
It transpires from News Channels that Ajith Pawar was building his coterie against his Uncle Sharad Pawar.
Sharad Pawar,whose MPs also count in the Lok Sabha for the stability of the UPA at the Centre has been able to ward of inquires into this scam till now.
Shaken by the Documents surfacing in the Media the Congress is reported to be arranging for an enquiry as the Congress is now besieged by the Coalgate scam(35,000 Crore)
Upset by his Uncle not being able to block enquiry Ajith Pawar is reported to have resigned and made his supporters to resign.
Shard Pawar can not afford to leave the Centre now, though he is putting on a Show that he would quit
The whole episode is a drama being enacted for Public consumption and to take the heat off the scam for now.
It is expected that the Ministers will take back their resignations to morrow and Ajith pawar may lie low for the time being, only to be reinstated at the Centre Like TR Baalu of the DMK.Right now the CM Prithviraj chavan declined to accept Ajith Pawar’s resignation
All this deflects adroitly the attention that needs to be paid to the scam.
See the Power-play.”
In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists — Vinod Mehta, Editorial Chairman, ‘Outlook’; Keshav Rao, Cong Gen Secy in-charge, AP; Kirit Somaiya, National Secretary, BJP; and Swapan Dasgupta, Senior Journalist — debate the issue whether the real fight between the NCP and Congress is about ending investigations into multi-thousand crore rupee scams in Maharashtra.
NCP has decided to pull out of the UPA govt and support it from outside in protest against the way the party was treated by Congress, creating fresh trouble for the ruling coalition. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Minister for Agriculture, and the only other representative in the Union Cabinet, Praful Patel, Minister for Heavy Industry, have informed PM Manmohan Singh that they are tendering their resignation. In a separate communication to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Pawar has said NCP, which has 9 members in the LS and 7 in the RS, will stay part of the UPA. Despite these missives from NCP sent yesterday, the Cong leadership was continuing to make efforts to retain the party in the coalition govt. The Cong Core Group including Gandhi, Singh and senior Ministers, met this evening after which party sources claimed the crisis was being defused. TIMES NOW gets you the inside story on why NCP and Cong are fighting a high-pitched battle. Sources close to TIMES NOW say that twin scams in Maharashtra is the real reason behind Sharad Pawar-Congress fight. The alleged Rs 26000 cr irrigation scam and Maha Sadan scam are believed to be the reason behind the latest standoff. As the Congress-led state government in Maharashtra begins to probe the scam, sources within Congress say that they were expecting the events unfolding in the capital.
Watch the Debate at the Link:http://www.timesnow.tv/Debate-Twin-scams-behind-NCP-Cong-tension-1/videoshow/4406748.cms