Ex-chief secy, 25 state babus booked Initially estimated to cost Rs.20cr, GMIDC built 11 barrages over Godavari river at a whopping cost of Rs.2,452cr

Ex-chief secy, 25 state babus booked

Initially estimated to cost Rs.20cr, GMIDC built 11 barrages over Godavari river at a whopping cost of Rs.2,452cr

The Aurangabad police have registered an FIR against 26 top Maharashtra officials, including a former chief secretary, in connection with alleged irregularities in the construction of 11 barrages by the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC). Hemant Kadam, police inspector of Jawaharnagar police station, on Tuesday, confirmed that a first information report (FIR) had been registered against the officials, following the order of the first class judicial magistrate. Babanrao Lonikar, ex-MLA of the BJP from Partur in adjoining Jalna district, said that the police had earlier refused to register an FIR, saying that the GMIDC, which had constructed the 11 barrages across the Godavari river, was a semi-government body and that it required the state government’s permission to do so. In his complaint to the police, Lonikar alleged that the initial cost of the 11 barrages constructed in Aurangabad, Jalna and Parbhani districts during 2006-2007 was Rs20 crore only. However, it escalated to Rs2,452 crore and no proper explanation was given. While seeking a thorough investigation into the multi-crore scam, Lonikar elaborated that he had raised this issue several times in the state assembly. In 2008, the state government had appointed a one-man committee under the former secretary of water resources, MK Kulkarni, who submitted his report in 2009. Till then, the GMIDC had spent Rs1,164 crore. Subsequently, a further Rs1,300 crore was spent to create 7,000 million cubic ft of water storage capacity. Lonikar alleged that the Kulkarni report established irregularities and favouritism to contractors in construction of the barrages. The barrages were planned to increase irrigation in the drought-prone Marathwada region on the directives of the state governor. However, the barrages were not scientifically designed as there was no hydrological estimate of how much water was to be impounded. Moreover, the farmers were finding it difficult to lift the water due to low electricity supply and heavy load-shedding in the area.