JOIN USDetailed Project Report of UKP-III 'deficient' on details
A day after the Finance department took exception to the incomplete Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Upper Krishna Project-III, it has come to light that the Water Resources department has paid a whopping Rs 1.7 crore to a Bangalore-based firm to prepare the report.
The Finance department had, on Tuesday, informed the State Cabinet that the DPR neither had details of the Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) nor specifications about funding pattern of the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 17,207 crore.
The department had advised not to go ahead with the project implementation based on the DPR. But Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai insisted that the approval to the project should be given.
The DPR was prepared by E T Technologies. Under UKP-III, about 5.30 lakh hectares of land will be irrigated, utilising 130.90 tmc ft of Krishna river water.
Nine schemes
The project is spread across seven districts of Bijapur, Bagalkot, Yadgir, Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal and Gadag. Altogether nine schemes will be taken up under the project.
The plan is to implement the project in seven years. About 98,000 people in 21,804 families will have to be rehabilitated under the project, as per the DPR.
Official sources said a DPR should have every minute detail of the project.
Besides, it should identify the land to be acquired with their survey numbers, nature of land (irrigated or non-irrigated), land owners, the present cropping pattern and income generated by the owner using the land.
To get these details, a physical survey has to be done with the help of various other departments like Revenue, Agriculture and Forest.
It is based on these details proper compensation to the affected can be fixed. Moreover, these details are necessary to plan the project and utilise the available water, officials explained.
Errors in plans
The success of any large-scale irrigation project depends on R&R plan. Hence, DPR is generally prepared by the department involving its sub-divisional office, which will have thorough local knowledge.
DPRs for UKP-I and II were prepared by the department. If DPR is erroneous, the project is bound to go awry, especially with respect to acquisition of land.
The Upper Bhadra project has suffered delay due to errors in DPR, officials pointed out.
When contacted, Principal Secretary to Water Resources Department D Satyamurthy, however, said that he was not aware of what transpired in the Cabinet meeting.
As far as the R&R plan is concerned, the DPR has all details with respect to the project, he added. But he did not give the details.