Greater Kashmir: Srinagar: Friday, July 28, 2017.
During my
previous article highlighting fund
lapses and surrenders, I had revealed how funds amounting to crores were
surrendered by Hospitality & Protocol department. Through this piece I am
trying to expose how public funds have
been mismanaged by the Irrigation & Flood Control department. The
information is authentic and has been obtained under Right to Information Act.
Government officials will argue that funds were reutilized not mismanaged, but
is this a sensible argument ?
Srinagar
witnessed a disaster few years back. Almost 70 % area of Srinagar city was
inundated during those devastating floods.
Some parts of Jammu region were also badly affected a lot. To make sure
better flood management, millions of rupees were allocated to Irrigation &
Flood Control department by Government. As per information obtained by our
organization (J&K RTI Movement)
under Right to Information Act (RTI) large chunk of this funding was
provided to two divisions of Irrigation & Flood Control in Srinagar and
Jammu. I was completely shocked and disturbed when I found that more than Rs 30
crores were surrendered by the two divisions of Irrigation & FC alone
during last three financial years ie 2014-15 , 2015-16 , 2016-17. Majority of
these surrenders were made in the Irrigation & FC division Srinagar
Surrender
by I&FC div Srinagar :
According to
the details provided under J&K Right to Information Act (JK RTI Act 2009 )
by Executive Engineer Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) division Srinagar more than 24 crores were surrendered
during last three financial years ie 2014-15, 2015-16,2016-17. As per the
details provided by Executive Engineer , the funds were allocated to the division for restoration of river
Jehlum , small nallahas and irrigation canals
in Srinagar city. The information reveals that crores of rupees were
surrendered from 2014 to 2016. Out of
these funds Rs 7 to 8 crore were revalidated, but rest of the amount according
to my information were surrendered and thus got lapsed.
During the
financial year 2016 -17 an amount of Rs 10.64 crore were surrendered by the Executive Engineer
Irrigation & FC division Srinagar out of Rs 15.90 crores. This amount
was meant for flood management programme
in Srinagar city. Moreover , out of Rs 24.64 crores , an amount of Rs 6.12
crores got lapsed from the capex budget
of Prime Ministers Development Programme
(PMDP) and State Disaster
Response Fund (SDRF).
During the financial year 2014-15 out of Rs 8.70
crores , an amount of Rs 5.45 crore got lapsed , but according to the RTI reply
this amount was revalidated in 2015-16.
More than 1 crore has been surrendered during financial year 2015-16 out
of Rs 1.50 Crores by the same division . The said money was meant for
restoration of Hyderpora & Rawalpora flood channels &
Harwan water reservoir . Rs 58
lakhs were meant for beautification of flood canals and out of it 56.30 lakhs were surrendered
during 2015-16.
Irrigation
& Flood Control (I&FC) division
Jammu also provided a separate information vis a vis utilization of funds meant
for flood management in Jammu district. I was shocked to go through the details
revealed by the Executive Engineer I&FC division Jammu. An amount of
Rs 8 crores was surrendered by this division during last three financial years.
Conclusion:
I don’t know
whether these lapses took place due to inefficiency and mismanagement of the
officers in Irrigation & Flood Control department or the administrative
department. In a nutshell citizens have
suffered because of these lapses. Majority of the funds got lapsed during the financial year 2014
-15. The details reveal that Rs 595.10 lakhs were surrendered by the Irrigation
Division Jammu in 2014-2015 out of Prime
Ministers Development Programme (PMDP) .
More than Rs 15 crore were allocated to this division. Out of this
allocated money , Rs 9 crores plus could
only be spent by the department. In 2015 -16 almost Rs 1.30 crores were surrendered out of PMDP , which was exclusively meant for Tawi Island Barrage. In 2016-17 an amount
of almost Rs 8 crore remained unspent out of Rs 14 crores allotment. It is not
clear whether this amount was surrendered or utilized in the next financial
year. Srinagar , Jammu and several other
towns of J&K continue to be under the threat of floods . The way funds
meant for flood control are mismanaged
and not utilized properly ,
citizens are its direct sufferers. We will continue to suffer in case floods
hit J&K once again this year.
.JPG)
.JPG)
