A petition against the multi crore irrigation scam in Maharashtra is expected to come up for hearing during next week (by Wednesday or Thursday) at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court. The Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), which was the nodal agency for 38 irrigation projects in the region, would submit its affidavit as directed by the court explaining its stand on issues relating to cost escalation, time over run and irregularities in project implementation.
Advocate Anil Kilor, who is a member of the Jan Manch, an NGO which has filed petition in the high court, confirmed that the matter is expected to come for further hearing. He told Business Standard "The high court had given six weeks time to VIDC for submission of its affidavit. We will make arguments based on VIDC's affidavit and also based on additional information gathered by us in this regard."
Jan Manch in its petition had argued that within seven months in 2009, cost of 38 irrigation projects escalated by Rs 20,050.06 crore, from Rs 6,672.27 crore to Rs 26,722.33 crore. Thirty out of the 38 projects were granted hurried approvals in just four days. Cost of these projects went up with the revised administrative approval granted at the level of VIDC. Cost of six projects rose by six times to 33 times of their original cost. In case of 12 projects, the cost shot up by more than twice the original estimates.
The revised administrative approval for the Lower Wardha project was granted on the Independence Day, a national holiday. Interestingly, the cost was revised to Rs 2,356 crore from Rs 950 crore by VIDC executive director on that day.
The cost of the Upper Wardha project in Amravati was revised to Rs 1,376 crore from Rs 661 crore.
Another case is that of the Bembala river project in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha. Its cost was revised from Rs 1,278 crore to Rs 2,176 crore on August 14, 2009. Bembala was one of the 10 projects which got approvals in a hurry.
On June 24, 2009, VIDC issued 10 revised administrative approvals for Vaisawali, Lonwadi, Dagadparwa and Dava minor irrigation schemes, and larger projects such as Human Nadi, Kharbadi K T Weir, Jigaon, Khadak Purna, Pentakali and Chandrabhaga. Once these revised administrative approvals were granted, the VIDC hurriedly invited tenders for all the 38 projects. These approvals were given by then executive director Devendra Shirke. However, VIDC noted that the costs were revised because of the change in price levels, higher quotes by contractors, increase in the cost of land acquisition, engineering changes and other reasons.
However, VIDC, argued that the costs were revised because of the change in price levels, higher quotes by contractors, increase in the cost of land acquisition, engineering changes and other reasons.
Incidentally, the high court hearing would coincide with the state government's ongoing inquiry against 45 VIDC officials both retired and serving. The officers facing the departmental inquiry include six top-level chief engineers, eight superintendent engineers and 31 executive engineers. Seven of them have retired and the water resources secretary Devendra Shirke, who is former VIDC executive director, has been transferred.
Besides, the state government was in the midst of preparation of a white paper on irrigation sector. While the ruling Congress has argued that mere 0.1% of irrigation potential was added during decade despite expenditure of Rs 70,000 crore, its co-partner Nationalist Congress Party claims the actual rise was 27%.
