A study on irrigation projects across the state has exposed corruption to the tune of Rs26,000 crore in the sector in the last decade.

The irrigation ministry says the total expenditure in the past 10 years has not exceeded Rs42,000 crore. However, the budget approved shows the expenditure as Rs70,000 crore. This means Rs26,000 crore under ‘plan and non-plan budget’ is unaccounted for. Also, successive governments often diverted funds from other departments to the irrigation department.

The ND Vadnere panel report on irrigation projects undertaken by the government in Vidarbha alone exposes massive cost escalation and splurging of funds. “None of the projects have adhered to set guidelines. There is no explanation for expansion of work which would commensurate with the additional funds,” the report said.

The cost of a Jijau irrigation project approved for Rs396 crore was escalated to Rs4,044 crore; the Gosikhurd project sanctioned for Rs750 crore ended up incurring an expenditure of Rs7,700 crore and Rs1,566 crore was spent on the Dani talao project though its projected cost was Rs34 crore. These are not the only projects to overshoot their estimated cost.

The opposition launched a scathing attack on the government. Leader of opposition in the state council Vinod Tawde said: The chief minister promised white paper, but who will be responsible for unaccounted funds worth Rs26,000 crore which could not be utilised for public welfare?”

The irrigation ministry tried to downplay the report, saying its findings were hyped. “The statistics are exaggerated. The money spent in the irrigation sector is just Rs42,000 crore. So how can there be a scam of Rs26,000 crore?” said a source from the irrigation ministry. The source, however, refused to admit that Rs42,000 crore was just the plan expenditure. There is no mention of the Rs26,000 crore which was provided as ‘non-plan expenditure’ in phases in the past decade.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has sensed things are horribly wrong in the irrigation sector and has asked officials to compile details of the projects and money spent on them in the past 10 years.

“Almost Rs26,000 crore of the Rs70,000 crore remains unaccounted for. It shows the magnitude of corruption in the irrigation sector,” Tawde said. “Even before a project is undertaken for construction, the contractor is paid 15% of the total cost as advance. The cost of every irrigation project has multiplied three to ten folds. And there is no valid reason for cost escalation,” he alleged.

A mega project in Western Maharashtra under the Krishna Valley Development Corporation has already seen investments of Rs10,000 crore. Estimates show it would further require Rs16,000 crore to complete the project, including expansion work.

The fate of other small and medium-scale projects dotted across Vidarbha, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra are identical.

“The ongoing irrigation projects across the state will require a massive Rs75,000 crore. But we have already incurred that much expenditure in the last 10 years,” admitted Chavan. The chief minister is keen on bringing financial discipline in the irrigation sector and wants to ensure that any delay in the projects does not lead to cost escalation.