More than 7,000 ZP water supply schemes non-functional: CAG

The country's apex auditor CAG has said 92 regional rural water supply schemes implemented by a state-run agency in Maharashtra were non-functional and 89 of them had incurred a cost of Rs 443.85 crore.

Also, 7,141 rural water supply schemes implemented by Zilla Parishads (ZPs) in six out of 10 selected districts were found to be non-functional, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said in a report.

The report, tabled in both Houses of the state Legislature today, observed that 92 regional rural water supply schemes implemented by the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) were found to be non-operational.

Of these, 89 schemes had incurred an expenditure of Rs 443.85 crore, it said.

"The main reasons for dysfunctional schemes were non- payment of electricity dues, drying of source, pending repairs, non-taking over of the schemes of the ZPs, rendering the expenditure on these schemes non-fruitful," the auditor said.

The CAG said even after incurring huge expenditure, the targets set for providing drinking water and piped water could not be achieved.

The National Rural Drinking Water Programme in Maharashtra was deficient in planning as the state did not prepare specific plans, it stated.

The state also did not prepare village and district water security plans, it added.

The state received Rs 6,144.51 crore for the programme against an expenditure of Rs 5,880.16 crore incurred from 2012 to 2017.

"The state government did not release its share of matching funds, amounting to Rs 547.93 crore, during 2012-17, the CAG noted.

The report said non-recovery of statutory labour welfare cess from the contractors, non-remittance of the Employment Provident Fund by the contractors indicated weak financial management under the programme.