The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rs. 2,529-cr. spending has not helped even an acre: CAG

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Friday, Apr 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rs. 2,529-cr. spending has not helped even an acre: CAG

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 31. At least 11 of the pending irrigation projects on which Rs. 2,529 crores had been spent had not benefited even a single acre as against the contemplated irrigation potential of 6.88-lakh acres.

According to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, (CAG) for the year ended March 31, 2004, which was placed in the Assembly on Thursday, since the inception of the Five-Year Plans in 1951, the State Government had up to March 2004, taken up the construction of 100 irrigation projects in all (21 major and 79 medium) with an envisaged irrigation potential to an ayacut of 92.62-lakh acres.

As of June 2004, 24 projects (10 major and 14 medium) whose scheduled date of completion expired long ago were still in different stages of execution. Of them 17 were more than 20 years old. Partial benefit was yielded to 32.30-lakh acres as against the expected irrigation potential of 41.40-lakh acres by 13 projects.

The major irrigation projects under which no benefits accrued are Singur, Srisailam Right Bank Canal, Srisailam Left Bank Canal and Yeleru Reservoir. The medium irrigation projects under which no benefits accrued are Suddavagu, Surampalem, Kovvadakalva, Jhanjavati, Pedderu, Veligallu and Gundlavagu.

The delay in completion of the irrigation projects resulted in huge cost over run (583 per cent).

Neeru-Meeru a failure

The report said the objective of Neeru-Meeru (launched in 2000) to recharge groundwater was not achieved due to injudicious selection of sites, unscientific selection of works and poor maintenance after completion.

The groundwater levels actually fell during 2003-04 in eight districts --Anantapur, Chittoor, Krishna, Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Nellore, Prakasam and West Godavari.

It was overloaded with a large number of 42.04-lakh works, some costing as low as Rs. 400 and as a result monitoring of execution of works was almost absent.

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