"This broad daylight robbery is responsible for

Vidarbha's irrigation backlog, parched fields and agrarian crisis," the petition alleged. Given the magnitude of the scam, a mere departmental inquiry is insufficient and officials and top authorities responsible for causing such a massive financial loss must face criminal prosecution, the PIL had demanded. The beneficiary contractors should be blacklisted and entire public money given to them as largess should be recovered from them, the PIL claimed. The PIL also claimed that within a span of just seven months in 2009, the cost of 38 irrigation projects under Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation escalated to a whopping Rs 26,722.33 crore from Rs 6,672.27-crore.