The public accounts committee of Assembly has pointed out lapses in implementation of various irrigation projects, particularly Rajiv Bhima lift irrigation scheme in Mahabubnagar district, and sought a comprehensive report from officials by its next meeting.
The panel which met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Revuri Prakash Reddy reportedly informed Principal Secretaries of Irrigation Adityanath Das and S.K. Joshi about its unhappiness that the projects were transferred by main contractors to sub-contractors though the latter did not have capability. The works were also not completed in time and yet they received payments.
Sources said the committee insisted that the report to be submitted should contain official response to the complaints on the contracts changing hands, deviation from plans and non-seriousness in execution of works. The legal complications of projects and quality control measures taken should also be spelt out.
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In the Rajiv Bhima lift irrigation scheme, the committee told the senior officials that the contractor earned an undue profit of Rs. 13.22 crore in the work related to cement concrete lining which was supposed to be taken up with a thickness of 100 mm. But, the work was completed with 65 to 75 per cent of the estimated thickness.
The pipeline for the same project in the second package also fell far short of estimates but the contractor received the entire amount.
The committee highlighted an excess payment of Rs. 35 crore to contractor in the flood flow canal project of Sriramsagar which was detected by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
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The irregularities in purchase of machinery and blasting of rock for Velugode project were discussed. A report on the procedure followed in pre-closure of Polavaram project on two occasions was called.