The government on Wednesday agreed to set up a House committee to probe alleged large-scale irregularities in implementation of the Ganga Kalyana Yojane meant to provide water facilities to poor Dalit farmers by sinking borewells.
The announcement by Leader of the House and Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary came after members, cutting across party lines, in the Legislative Council urged the government to probe the alleged irregularities after BJP member Y.A. Narayanswamy raised the issue, and pointed at various corrupt practices found across the State.
“The discretionary quota of 20% of the total allocation of borewells is being grossly misused. Fake bills are being created where borewells were not even sunk, bills are being raised for wells where water could not be harvested, and there is huge corruption in allocation of borewells as money is being demanded from farmers,” Mr. Narayanswamy said, adding that 50% of the bills submitted were bogus. The discretionary quota is given to Ministers and board members of Dr. Ambedkar Development Corporation, Bhovi Development Corporation, and Adijambava Development Corporation, he added.
According to the data provided, since 2015–16 as many as 31,735 borewells have been approved under the scheme and about ₹1,110 crore has been spent.
“While the committee headed by legislators have to adhere to the KTCP Act and no 5G exemption is given, the 5G exemption is given to discretionary quota. This meant, there was no tendering and data shows that 5,831 borewells were sunk at the cost of ₹224 crore under the quota.” While 10,221 borewells identified by the committee is yet to be sunk, just about 600 borewells identified under the discretionary quota remains.