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| Ranbir Canal, Pratap Canal become victims of Govt’s ill-planning | | Revenue realized was dismal, insufficient to even cover basic costs | |
Jammu: Famed irrigation projects like Ranbir Canal, Pratap Canal, and Kathua Feeder are turning into major loss-making projects costing crores of rupees to the public exchequer.
As per the documents in possession of Early Times, the financial results of seven major irrigation projects namely 1. Kathua Feeder canal, 2. Partap canal, 3. Ranbir canal, 4. Martand canal, 5.Zaingir canal, 6.Ahizi canal, 7. Dadi canal involving a Capital Expenditure of Rs 499.40 crore showed that revenue realized from these schemes was only Rs 0.20crore. Furthermore, the Revenue Receipts of none of the schemes were sufficient to cover even the direct working expenses. After meeting the working expenses and interest charges, the projects suffered loss of Rs 2.07 crore (0.41 percent of the Capital Outlay).The major loss-making projects were Ranbir Canal, Pratap Canal and Kathua Feeder during the previous financial year.
Pertinent to mention here that sections 13 and 14 of the Jammu & Kashmir Irrigation Act, 1978 stipulate that while preparing the irrigation schemes, the estimated cost, realignment of any watercourse or existing watercourse, the site of the outlet, the particulars of the owners, occupiers, and beneficiaries to be benefitted and other people who may be affected is to be set out in the draft scheme. Besides, every irrigation scheme, after its preparation is to be published so as to invite objections and suggestions within 30 days. After consideration of such objections and suggestions, the scheme shall be approved either as it was originally published or in such modified form as may be considered fit and published.
There has already been the fact highlighted about how the irrigation department has been making new strides without compunction and how the state exchequer is facing the damage for no fault.
A similar nature project for the construction of Weir/ Barrage at Jhajjar Kotli, Jammu was handed over in March 2011 by Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, Jammu to Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) for its execution at an estimated cost of Rs 7.62 crore. Without publishing the scheme for seeking the objections and suggestions under section 14 of the Act, an amount of Rs 1.80 crore was advanced to JKPCC in March 2011 (Rs one crore) and March 2012 (Rs 80 lakh). However, JKPCC could not start the work owing to objections raised in May 2012 by the National Highway Authority of India, as the proposed site came under the alignment of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Jhajjar Kotli.
A new site for the barrage was identified and JKPCC submitted in January 2015 a revised proposal with an increased project cost of Rs 24.73 crore due to change in certain technical parameters which includes width of barrage increased from 26 meters to 42 meters and the number of gates increased from three to four. This led to the blockage of Rs 1.80 crore.
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