GUWAHATI, March 14?Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has indicted State Agriculture Department for ?misuse? of Rs 65.04 crore in the project for installation of one lakh shallow tube wells (STWs) during the year 1999-2000 with assistance from NABARD. In order to bring an additional area of two lakh hectares under assured irrigation, the Agriculture Department of Assam decided to install one lakh shallow tube wells (STWs) during 1999-2000 at a cost of Rs 230 crore including farmers? contribution of Rs 76.67 crore. The project was jointly financed by NABARD and Assam Government.
The CAG report for the financial year 2000-2001 mentioned that procurement of pump sets at ?higher? rate resulted in avoidable expenditure of Rs 24.83 crore. The report further raised doubt over installation of pump sets worth Rs 39.92 crore besides pointing out unauthorised payment of Rs 0.29 crore. It may be mentioned that during the time of implementation of STW project, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta led-AGP government was in power in the State and Chandra Mohan Patowary was the Agriculture Minister at that time. It was one of the much trumpeted projects of the then AGP government.
The Director of Agriculture was the nodal agency for implementation of the STW project with the help of Field Management Committees (FMCs). For installation of one STW materials like one 5 HP pump set, pipes and strainers were required. The pump sets were to be supplied by the State Government and others materials were to be procured by FMCs. Based on quotations received, the Chief Engineer, Agriculture placed orders on eight firms between November 1999 and March 2000 at the rate of Rs 12,200 per pump although the CAG found out that Agriculture Department had procured 14812 numbers of 5 HP diesel pump sets with identical specifications between February and July 2000 at the rate of Rs 9699 per pump set from a Gujarat firm under World Bank aided ARIASP project. That indicates that pump sets under NABARD aided projects were procured at much higher rate. As per calculation an additional Rs 2501 per set was paid to procure pump sets under the STW project. Besides there was unauthorised expenditure of Rs 0.29 crore towards Letter of Credit charges paid to bank as the same was not covered under terms and conditions of the tender.
The records of Agriculture Director revealed that out of one lakh pump sets ordered only 93206 were supplied between November 1999 and June 2001. Out of the total pump sets supplied 63484 were with dated receipt and 28722 without dated receipt. As per the information furnished to Audit by the Directorate of Agriculture in July 2001 out of 18 districts covered under the project, installation cost of Rs 7.23 crore only was released till February 16,2001 for 10 districts and no installation cost for the rest eight districts were released where the target for installation of STWs was 32720 pump sets. It is clear as to how, in view of non-release of installation costs by the Government even the above 32,720 pump sets worth Rs 39.92 crore could have been actually installed.