The functioning of the Irrigation Department came in for a critical review at the quarterly review meeting of the Karnataka Development Programme in Kalaburagi.
The Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Zone was criticised for functioning unilaterally and overruling the suggestions of the legislators.
Raising the issue in review meeting chaired by Municipal Administration Minister Qamarul Islam, Congress MLA Prayank Kharge said that due to the irrational and unilateral decisions of the Chief Engineers, the construction of the Field Irrigation Channels in the command area of the Bennethora Major Irrigation Project, using the Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan funds, could not be taken up.
Mr. Kharge said that Rs. 17 crore was available to take up 257 works of constructing Field Irrigation Channels and the work could not be taken up for the past two years due to the alleged hurdles created by the Chief Engineers in handing over the work to the land army, which is a government organisation.
He said that when he urged the Chief Engineer to hand over the work to the land army for completing the work and ensure the water was given for the fields, the official had reportedly told the legislators that the rules did not permit handing over of the work and rejected the proposal.
Mr. Kharge said that there were precedents in the cases involving the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd., the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. and the KBJNL, where the construction of Field Irrigation Channels was entrusted with the land army.
Despite bringing this to the attention of Chief Engineer, “with a malafide intention of delaying the project, the work was not entrusted to the Land Army”.
Both Mr. Islam and Minister of State for Medical Education Sharanprakash Patil said that the action of the official was inappropriate and illegal.
Dr. Patil said that the government has already directed the Irrigation Department to hand over the work to the land army.
Officials of the Bennethora project told the meeting that the work was being handed over to the land army now. However, Mr. Kharge said that the government should fix accountability on the Chief Engineer for the inordinate delay in the work and initiate disciplinary action.
