Here's why CM is silent on irrigation scam

Criticism is pouring in from all quarters over the white paper on state irrigation projects remaining silent on corruption and steering clear of putting any blame on former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for delays and cost escalations This silence of the Congressled Democratic Front government can be explained by the fact that demands by a number of former and sitting legislators for changes in the original plan of projects resulted in delays and cost escalations The white paper which was made public yesterday details the causes for delays and rise in project costs over the years In this light it would have been a logically inconsistency to pin responsibility for the maladies in the irrigation sector on Pawar the NCP strongman who resigned from the government in a huff in September following allegations of corruption in several projects No black marks NCP strongman Ajit Pawar and CM Prithviraj Chavan The white paper on the state irrigation sector that was made public yesterday does not mention corruption and steers clear of putting any blame on Pawar for cost escalations and delays in projects File Pic The state water resources department which is led by Nationalist Congress Party NCP Minister Sunil Tatkare has revealed the names of the legislators who made the demands for project modifications and also listed the changes they wanted that led to cost escalations And many of these names are of leaders from the Congress a fact that might be the prime reason behind Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan refraining from announcing any highlevel inquiry The NCP which has been pushed into a corner for allegedly making a mess of the irrigation department has revealed these names in the 768page Volume II of the white paper The first volume of the white paper runs into 113 pages Volume II contains a list of 17 big projects 19 medium projects and 19 lift irrigation schemes that are alleged to have drained the state coffers as most of them involve largescale delays For the delays and cost escalations the white paper blames land acquisition problems rehabilitation of the project affected paucity of funds and time consumed for detailed design and plans of the project besides changing the scope of the project midway following demands from locals projectaffected people and elected representatives For the delays and cost increase the NCPled water resources department indirectly blames the Congressled departments such as the revenue department that is responsible for land acquisition and relief and rehabilitation for projectaffected people The white paper seeks to clarify that the prime reason behind cost escalations has been changes made in the scope of a project Some big projects that have seen changes Ujani Project Solapur Approval given on August 20 1964 Original cost Rs 4051 crore Revised cost Rs 199278 crore Status Incomplete ten lift irrigation schemes pending Projected benefits Irrigation potential of 259 lakh hectares of land Reason for delayCost increase Major changes to original plan that led to widening of scope of project In 1986 the then CM S B Chavan Congress approved a demand by locals that led to inclusion of 282 villages under project and increase in irrigation potential by 138 lakh hectares Length of canals also saw increase by a few kilometres Project cost rose by Rs 518 crore for these changes besides other cost escalations like Rs 124 crore for command area development Kukdi project Pune Approval given in 1966 Original cost Rs 3118 crore Revised cost Proposal for cost increase is Rs 2184 crore and has been submitted to the government Projected benefits It will cater to needs of parts of Pune Ahamadnagar and Solapur Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Changes in district scheduled rates DSR land acquisition problems and widening of scope of project following certain demands made by locals and MLAs that would cost Rs 255 crore In 1986 demands made by local MLA Nandkumar Zawre Congress were approved in a meeting chaired by the then minister of state for irrigation Annasaheb Mhaske In 2004 demands made by the then minister for tribal development Madhukar Pichad and the then energy minister Dilip Walse Patil both from NCP also approved Al this also led to cost escalation Warna project Sangli Approval given in 196364 Original cost Rs 3164 crore Revised cost Rs 214995 crore proposal is awaiting government nod Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Land acquisition problems DSR issues and expenditure on establishment Public demand for change in site of the hydropower project led to increase in cost In 2006 cost increase of Rs 108 crore followed decision to go for geo synthetic lining for canals taken in a meeting chaired by Shivajirao Deshmukh chairman of the legislative council Changes in water distribution system added another Rs 17682 crore to cost Nira Deoghar project Pune Approval given in 198384 Original cost Rs 6184 crore Revised cost Rs 133435 crore approved in 2009 Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Scope of the project changed when local MLA exminister Anantrao Thopte Congress demanded 21km canal and lift irrigation scheme ExMLA Madanrao Pisal Congress and former Dy CM Vijaysinha Mohite Patil NCP also demanded benefits of the project for their constituencies Wai and Malshiras respectively leading to cost escalation of Rs 12315 crore and increase in dam length from 1608 metres to 2330 metres and height from 46 metres to 588 metres Urmodi Project Satara Approval given in 1993 Original cost Rs 212 crore Revised cost Rs 1417 crore Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Scope changed as then Cooperation Minister and local MLA Abhaysinharaje Bhosle Congress demanded canal irrigation instead of Kolhapuritype weirs Tarali Project Satara Approval given in 199596 Original cost Rs 19432 crore Revised cost Rs 15763 crore Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Scope changed when then chief minister Manohar Joshi of Shiv Sena approved a lift irrigation scheme as a special case which led to a cost escalation of Rs 11049 crore Sina Kolegaon Project Osmanabad Approval given in 1992 Original cost Rs 7088 crore Revised cost Rs 45528 crore Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Scope saw an increase of Rs 76 crore when a meeting chaired by then Water Resources minister Ajit Pawar Minister for Krishna Valley Development Corporation Ramraje Nimbalkar and local MLA Rahul Mote NCP approved inclusion of a new lift irrigation scheme Change in designs caused cost increase of Rs 10662 crore Krishna Koyna Lift Irrigation Scheme Sangli Approval given in 1984 Original cost Rs 8243 crore Revised cost Rs 3042 crore Status Incomplete Reason for delayCost increase Cost escalated because of certain demands made by Ministers Dr Patangrao Kadam Congress R R Patil and Jayant Patil both NCP former MLAs Ajit Ghorpade Congress Anil Babar NCP and others Dr Kadam demanded inclusion of some villages which led to cost increase of Rs 2217 crore Demands made by R R Patil and Jayant Patil increased cost by Rs 28 crore Cost escalation of approximately Rs 48 crore came about due to various demands by the former minister Ajit Ghorpade He was also part of a demand that was made by then minister Shivajirao Deshmukh former MLA Umaji Sanmadikar and Minister Laxman Dhoble which led to cost increase of Rs 33673 crore A demand by Anil Babar resulted in cost increase of Rs 11 crore u00a0