Funds on rise, but most of it spent on operational costs, consultancy

Indian Express: Maharashtra: Monday, June 03, 2013.

The grants issued by the government for the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA), the lone water regulatory body in the country, have only seen a rise over the years, but it has not translated in an increase of the work undertaken by the body. In fact, in its reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Indian Express, the authority said not a single penny was listed as expenditure under its ‘works’ head last year.

MWRRA, as a regulatory body, was constituted in 2005 after the MWRRA Act was passed in the same year. Headquartered in Mumbai, this body is supposed to ensure proper distribution of water as well as plan and maintain the water policy of the state. Substantial grants are released by the state government for its functioning.

Replying to the RTI application, the authority said from 2005 to 2013 the body had received more than Rs 21.41 crore as grants. However, when it came to expenditure, the RTI reply showed that a majority of the grants was used towards payment of “incremental operating costs, including office rent, difference in rent and staff salary”. Other expenditures were listed under ‘works’, ‘goods and equipment’ and ‘consultancy’ charges, with the latter getting a lion’s share of the grants.

Interestingly, in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2012-13, no expenditure was recorded under the ‘works’ head. The highest amount spent under the ‘works’ head was Rs 10 crore in 2011-12. Also, the highest incremental operating cost of Rs 53.01 crore was incurred in the same year.

According to the preamble of the Act, it was passed “...to provide for the establishment of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority to regulate water resources within the State of Maharashtra, facilitate and ensure judicious, equitable and sustainable management, allocation and utilisation of water resources, fix the rates for use of water for agriculture, industrial, drinking and other purposes, and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”.

Talking about the functioning of the authority, researcher Shripad Dharmadhikary said the available data reflected the failure of the authority in living upto the spirit of the Act. “MWRRA over the years has worked only on fixing water tariff and paying the consultants. Government money is dumped into consultancies and no work has been done either on sustainability and equitable distribution of water,” he said.