Rajasthan irrigation project misses targets

Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) has already incurred expenditure of Rs 1246.70 crore upto March 2003 for ten projects including Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana (IGNP) stage II of the Rajasthan government, but none of the projects had been completed, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has stated in its audit report on the government of Rajasthan.

Only 24 per cent of the targeted irrigation potential was created.

AIBP was launched for accelerating the completion of on going irrigation and multi purpose projects on which major investments had already been made but which were beyond the scope of the resources available with the state government.

CAG pointed out several discrepancies in its audit of the state's irrigation department.

Funds of Rs 22.67 crore were diverted for activities such as purchase of cars and computers which were not covered under the project.

In addition, non-preparation of detailed estimates of excavation and lining works at one of the projects led to extra cost of Rs 60.17 lakh and liability of Rs 46.87 lakh.

Similarly, dispute in strata classification, frequent changes in specification and delayed decisions resulted to avoidable additional expenditure of Rs 4.12 crore.

The CAG report said out of a total available irrigation potential of 758.12 thousand hectare, only 309.34 thousand hectares were serviced, resulting in denial of irrigation facilities to more than 59 per cent of the target area.

Delay in payment of cost of compensatory afforestation and penal cost of compensatory afforestation led to avoidable liability of Rs 16.19 crore in the Chhapi and Bilaspur projects, said the report.

CAG pointed out no evaluation programme was carried out at the departmental level to assess the benefit in terms of irrigation potential created and actually being used.