| Fate of 11 Lift Irrigation Schemes hangs in balance | | MICD fails to execute electromechanical works, funds remain unutilized for years | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 4: The Mechanical Irrigation Construction Division (MICD) of Irrigation Department has failed to execute electromechanical works in respect of eleven Lift Irrigation Schemes (LISs), sources told Early Times on Thursday.
They said due to the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the officials the funds given to the division for execution of works have remained unutilized for years.
Sources said that for execution of electromechanical works in respect of various Lift Irrigation Schemes (LISs), the funds were placed at the disposal of Mechanical Irrigation Construction Division (MICD), Jammu by various Civil Irrigation Divisions.
They further said that an amount of Rs 25 crore pertaining to 13 Lift Irrigation Schemes (LISs) was placed at the disposal of MICD, Jammu by three divisions including Irrigation Division Kathua, Irrigation and Flood Control Division Nowshera and Irrigation Division Akhnoor during 2009 to 2016, for execution of electromechanical works. “Out of this, an amount of Rs 9 crore is lying unutilised under deposit head, ending 2018, due to non-execution of civil works, land dispute, release of inadequate funds resulting in blocking of funds for periods ranging between 2 and 9 years,” they informed.
They further said that these 13 schemes were targeted to be completed during 2009-10 to 2015-16. An additional amount of Rs 5 crore was also released during 2018-19 for execution of electromechanical works of these schemes. However, electromechanical works in respect of only two schemes including LIS Kalsian and LIS Nagger Gosain was completed while the remaining 11 schemes including LIS Mandla, LIS Lower Rajwalta, LIS Tallain Nallah, Check Dam Bhini River, LIS Langer, LIS Beri Pattan, LIS Chowki Choura, LIS Kot-II, LIS Sidhra Dhana, LIS Ambaran-II, LIS Samuah Chaprial were still incomplete and some ongoing despite lapse of 2 to 9 years from their targeted date of completion.
Sources informed that the unspent balance in the deposit head as of March 2019 was Rs 14 crore and due to non-completion of these schemes thousands of hectares of agricultural land could not be tapped. |
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