Chitale committee confirms irrigation scam in Maharashtra, says BJP

The Madhav Chitale committee, appointed by Maharashtra government to probe the Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam, has substantiated the accusation that in spite of a huge expenditure, irrigation potential increased by 0.1 per cent in the last decade, the BJP said here on Friday. The report might be tabled in the state legislature on Saturday.

The committee was set up in December 2012 to study the escalation of costs at various projects. Its report was submitted to the government in March this year.

The report, likely to be tabled in the state legislature tomorrow, was leaked by BJP MLA Devendra Phadanvis today.

Phadanvis, speaking in the Assembly during a debate today, alleged that committee has said that though as per the official data the state achieved irrigation potential of 2.43 lakh hectares, in reality 2.31 lakh hectares of this is of no use for practical purposes.

The report attributes the cost escalation to irregularities in the administrative approvals, he claimed.