Is Neeru-Chettu losing its steam?

Tirupati: The much touted Neeru-Chettu programme seems to be losing its steam which was evident with more than half of 1,178 works sanctioned by the Minor Irrigation department last year May in Tirupati division still remained incomplete.

In fact, the works have to be completed in three to six months after the agreement by the contractor but in many mandals the works are still to start while the works taken up in the mandals moving at a snail’s pace.

The works covered under Neeru-Chettu programme are desilting, restoration of tanks, construction of check dams, tank feeder channels and cascade development under Minor Irrigation department. Naidu launched Neeru-Chettu with an aim to make the state drought free in five years by taking up aggressive water conservation works.

As many as 1,370 works were sanctioned in May last year for taking up under Neeru-Chettu in Tirupati division covering 20 mandals but due to technical reasons tenders were not called for 192 works and only 1,178 were taken up for execution in which 626 were completed while 744 in various stages.

A glance at the details given by the officials on the status of the sanctioned works as on June this year revealed that in Tirupati Urban mandal only one work was completed against 17 sanctioned, in Vijayapuram mandal 7 were completed against 36 sanctioned, 9 over against 40 in Palasamudram and in Nagari 14 completed against 59 sanctioned.

In most of the remaining mandals, only 40 percent of the sanctioned works completed gives the tell-tale picture of the apathy of officials in completing the works even after a year passed after the deadline for finishing the works i.e. in 3 months so as to see the tanks ready to store maximum rainwater in the rainy season which starts in the district after July.

Interestingly, the government bowing to pressure from party leaders permitted to give the works on nomination basis if the total cost is less than RS 10 lakh, on the recommendation of local Janmabhoomi committees. Even this, relaxation of the rules failed to accelerate the works for completion.

In many areas, the contractors taking umbrage of their work contract and political support started selling the silt taken from the tanks earning lakhs of rupees more so in the tanks near urban areas like Tirupati and the officials have remained silent spectators. Discreet enquiries revealed that this year there was no new works allotted under Neeru-Chettu, so far and MI department is directed to take a special drive to complete the pending works.

A senior MI official on condition of anonymity said that due to other works allotted to the department it failed to complete the tank works. “For three-four months, the officials supervising the construction of toilets and now the sale of mangoes by farmer to factories,’’ he said efforts are on to complete all pending works in the next three months.