Locals cry foul over Mission Kakatiya works

Adilabad: Although the deadline for the Mission Kakatiya (MK) works, taken up to end the woes of farmers, has come to an end, they are yet to be completed in this district which has the least irrigation facilities in the State. The officials are allegedly colluding with contractors and paying them though the work was of low quality and shoddy in nature. Such allegations are raising a stink, even as the Mission’s first phase in Chintalbori, Karathwada and Bazar Hatnoor tanks are still continuing. None seems to know when they will be completed.

• First phase works in Chintalbori, Karathwada and Bazar Hatnoor tanks still continuing; none seems to know when they will be completed
• Adilabad EE Susheel Kumar says pending works will be completed expeditiously; efforts made to ensure that irregularities do not take place in III phase

The people of the district want inquiry into the allegation of corruption in MK works, even as the first and second phase works are continuing. They want action taken against those resorting to corrupt practices and de-silting work taken up once again. Adilabad EE Susheel Kumar told The Hans India that the pending works would be completed expeditiously and efforts are being made to ensure that such irregularities would not take place in the third phase.

In the MK first phase, 64 tanks are being de-silted with the objective of irrigating an estimated 20,000 acres. Contractors are being accused of doing low quality/ incomplete work. Yet they got their bills passed by the officials. The contractors allegedly finished repairs in only 30 per cent tanks and did not lift sand from others, like in the case of Chinthalbori in Boath. But 80 per cent of the bills have been paid.

Farmers’ leader Prabhakar Reddy told The Hans India that the contractors of tank works in Karathwada and Bazar Hatnoor in the same mandal managed to get their bills sanctioned without completing the task, resulting in zero benefit to farmers. The hopes of ryots of seeing tanks getting widened after removal of silt and increased groundwater levels have been dashed.

They allege that while the work did not benefit them, the contractors laughed all the way to the bank. They want the officials at least now to take steps for ensuring that the incomplete MK works are finished at the earliest. In the MK second phase, works have been taken up in 82 tanks, and of them only ten per cent of work has been completed, while it is still going on in many tanks, like in the case of KRK Colony in the town.

The contractor failed to remove silt from the tank. Its bund should have been re-constructed for strengthening the structure with stones with five ft rolling. But no such work has been done. Yet officials settled the contractor’s bills. There was no need for taking up the tank work at all as there is no ayacut. Selection of the tank itself was wrong.

The colony residents had hoped that the work would at least help re-generate groundwater. But, with the contractor failing to remove silt, there is the danger of the issue going back to square one. A local resident Suresh Joshi told THI in anguish that the officials failed to act even after complaints of corrupt practices in MK work were taken to their notice.

The MK works in the agency mandals of Utnoor, Narnoor, Indravelli and Gudi Hatnoor are said to be worst. Besides, no second phase work in the selected nine tanks in Utnoor mandal has been completed so far. The contractors managed to collect bills claiming in the reports that work has been completed when in fact only 30-40 per cent was finished.

In the interior areas, the contractors are claiming that they have completed the task after removing silt only from those with water. Yet they claim to have completed the work. This is depriving farmers of using the removed silt in their fields, alleges Girijan farmer Sakku. Farmers contend that without removing silt, water can’t be stored in tanks. They point out that the MK work at Pippalakoti in Tamsi mandal was of poor quality. Local sarpanch has lodged a complaint with the officials, who paid the contractor’s bill ignoring the allegations.

By Thotla Chinna Anjaiah