BJP’s ‘U-turn’ over irrigation cost

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janta Party-led (BJP) government has admitted on the floor of the house that it has cleared 130 irrigation projects with “revised administrative approval” of Rs 21,000 crore hike. It is a shocking “U–turn” by the BJP govt as Devendra Fadnavis had objected “revised estimates” when he was in the opposition.

Revising administrative approval was the main issue in irrigation scam that damaged the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) reputation three years ago. Mr Khadse and Mr Fadnavis were against the “revision of cost”, but in just two years the BJP government walked on the same line.

Irrigation minister Girish Mahajan accepted in the discussion in the assembly that his department has given approval for hiking the estimates of irrigation projects. The minister said, “We have approved the revision of costs from `11,835 Cr to `32,935 crore for 130 projects. These projects have been pending for a long time and need monetary help for completion.”

The BJP, which had objected similar revision three years ago, has now supported it. Three years back, then opposition leader Eknath Khadse and Devendra Fadnavis had levelled serious charges against former irrigation minister Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare over the revision of costs for many irrigation projects. The duo had alleged that that NCP had indulged in irrigation scam worth `70,000 crore. The investigation is by Anti-Corruption Bureau into the alleged irrigation scam is still underway. Mr Pawar and Mr Tatkare have appeared before ACB over their decision to revise the cost of irrigation projects.

Mr Pawar has criticised BJP’s “U-turn”. He said, “After these revised approvals, the BJP must accept that their allegations against us were politically motivated. They are giving the similar reasons like us. But they were against it in the past. But in just two years, they have to accept the reality of irrigation department.”

However, Mr Mahajan rejected the allegations. While speaking to The Asian Age, he said, “We were never against revision of costs. But, the NCP had done it for the benefit of few contractors. We have taken clearance from four different committees. So there are no financial irregularities.” Almost 400 medium and big irrigation projects have remained incomplete over the years and need `90,000 crore for completion. The state budget had allotted `7,000 crore last year and `8,232 crore this year for irrigation department.