Oppn through its black paper has clearly nailed Dy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for his brazen corruption with various examples and also rejected the figures of increase in irrigation potential.
Nagpur : Outrightly rejecting the white paper, tabled by the State government, the Opposition parties on Sunday presented what it claimed to be its black paper on irrigation. The paper clearly elaborates on the modus operandi of corruption, examples of cost escalation, gross violations of rules while sanctioning or implementing the irrigation projects. Not only that, the black paper has clearly nailed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for his brazen corruption with various examples and also rejected the figures of increase in irrigation potential.
The parties fine-tuning its strategy for Winter session which begins on Monday |
“Even after recommendation of Chitale Commission, the State government’s Water Resource Department did not set up its own mechanism to calculate or measure the irrigated area. Currently, only Agriculture and Revenue Department has this mechanism. Then how can the Water Resource Department claim growth in irrigation potential? Their figures don’t have any scientific base,” the black paper clearly states.
” Why irrigated area is 29.55 lakh hectare when the irrigation potential is 48.25 lakh hectare? Why irrigated area is much lesser than the actual potential? How much money was spent in the last decade to achieve the 12.47 lakh hectare growth?,” the black paper further asks.
The task force appointed by the Central government has observed that the cost for creation of irrigation potential per hectare is average Rs 1.70 lakh during the Tenth Five-Year Plan.
” But in Maharashtra, the per hectare irrigation potential cost has come around Rs 4.19 lakh during 2010-11 which is four times the average estimate,” the black paper has alleged.
“The same cost for Pandora irrigation project in Vidarbha region is whopping Rs 7.20 lakh,” states the black paper and points to the massive corruption in Vidarbha region.
“Kokan Irrigation Development Corporation has done miracles by creating 2,960 hectare irrigation potential during April-December, 2011, by spending Rs 361, 78,00000. This means the cost for creation of irrigation potential per hectare was Rs 12.22 lakh which was the highest,” the black paper mentions.
“During 2000-01 to 2010-11, Rs 42,432 crore were spent for creating 11.19 lakh hectare irrigation potential. This means that per hectare cost was Rs 3.79 akh. But if we take into account the non-plan expenditure, this cost will be much higher. But white paper has not explained these issues,” said Devendra Fadanavis, senior MLA and Editor of the white paper.
The black paper has specially mentioned the name of Ajit Pawar and also exposed his modus operandi of alleged corruption.
Pramod Chunchuwar
