Oppn Black Paper picks holes in Maha White Paper on irrigation

The black paper was released by major opposition parties viz Shiv Sena, BJP, MNS and PWP here on the eve of the winter session of the state legislature. The document was edited by Nagpur (West) BJP MLA Devendra Phadanvis.

"Statistics of various irrigation projects in the white paper brought out by the state government is misleading and mum on spate of corruption. The white paper has completely ignored the strictures passed by Wadnere, Mendhegiri, Upase and Kulkarni probe panels. It also ignored the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)," the document said.

The total irrigated area for crops in Maharashtra was lowest at 17.9 per cent, while Andhra Pradesh has 47.4 per cent, Karnataka 29 per cent, Goa 22.1 per cent and Gujarat 39.5 per cent according to state government's Economic Survey report of year 2009-10, it claimed.

The white paper should have dealt with the proposals moved by the irrigation sector, reviewed department's activities and financial implications, including the amount spent on irrigation and area brought under irrigated area, the document said.

The white paper also did not consider the measures suggested by probe panels for tackling corruption, improving irrigation sector and removing anomalies in the system, it said.

"The government relied on statistics from the Status Report, Water Audit and Benchmarking, which has no sanctity. Irrigation department does not have a mechanism in place for collecting figures...The department which does not even have a full proof system for measurement of water storage, how can it derive the figures mentioned in the white paper?," the Black Paper pointed out. (More)