MVA govt. discontinues Fadnavis’s pet project Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan

‘There is no question of shutting the scheme, its tenure was up to Dec. 31 last year’

Short-lived: Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis (left) promotes Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan in a village in Latur.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s pet project, Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, has been discontinued by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The development came to light in an answer to an unstarred question in the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

The State government has already spent ₹9,707 crore on the water conservation scheme, which was launched in 2015 in view of the recurring drought in several districts. The previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government aimed to make Maharashtra drought-free through the scheme. The project involved deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen check dams, and digging farms ponds to make villages free of water scarcity. The previous government termed it a success and Mr. Fadnavis played it up during his election speeches.

‘No extension’

In a written reply tabled in the Council, Water Conservation Minister Shankarrao Gadakh said the MVA government would not be giving an extension to the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan. Mr. Gadakh said, “The year 2018-19 was the last year of the scheme, it was given an extension up to December 31, 2019. There is no question of shutting the scheme. Its tenure is already over.”

Mr. Gadakh was responding to a question raised by Peasants and Workers Party leader Jayant Patil in the Upper House on whether the scheme has been wound up and if there have been allegations of corruption in the scheme. Mr. Patil also wanted to know if the MVA government has taken any initiatives to address drought in the State.

Asked about the incomplete works, Mr. Gadakh said, “Permission is given to complete the incomplete works under the scheme till March 31. No fresh work will be undertaken.” After March-end, there will be a detailed review of the scheme, the Minister said.

‘₹9,707 crore spent’

Mr. Gadakh further told the House that from 2015 to 2019, a total of 22,586 villages had been selected for the implementation of the scheme. “So far, 6,32,708 works have been completed with total expenditure of ₹9,707 crore,” he said.

BJP MLA Narayan Kuche had on Monday appealed to the State government not to wind up the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan and the water grid project of the previous government. “If you want, you can rechristen the Jalyukt and water grid schemes after Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar or Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but don’t wind them up as they are crucial in resolving the water woes,” the legislator from Badnapur in Marathwada region said.

Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil had recently called several works done under the scheme as ‘poor and substandard’. “The Chief Minister has now told to stop payments to such works and go ahead with their execution only after a review,” he had said in Pune.

Suggestions submitted

On the recommendations of an expert committee on the quality of works, Mr. Gadakh said the committee headed by former chief secretary Johnny Joseph was formed to inspect allegations of corruption. The recommendations of the committee have already been submitted to the Bombay High Court as a writ petition was filed in 2018. Mr. Gadakh said the State government also filed an affidavit on June 17, 2019, informing the court about the action plan and the status of the implementation of these recommendations.

Mr. Gadakh said there are 151 talukas, 268 revenue circles and 5,449 villages in the State that are drought-prone and his department is already undertaking works for soil and water conservation.

(With PTI inputs)