The Legislative Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Water Resources department to complete the Banasura Irrigation project in a time-bound manner.
Speaking after attending a review meeting here on the progress of work for the project on Friday, PAC Chairman Sunny Joseph, MLA, said the panel would recommend the government to expedite steps for the completion of work in a time-bound manner.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, Mr. Joseph said, adding that the government had allotted ₹200 crore for the purpose. Following the intervention of the State Planning Board 28.232 hectares of land had been acquired for the project, he said.
The meeting was convened on the basis of a CAG report in 2014. The team visited the site and examined issues mentioned in the report including the objective of the project and the alleged delay and excess expenditure for the initiative.
Irrigation department officials told the panel that the construction of sub-canals from the main canals was under way.
The irrigation project was started in 1999, and it was planned to complete the project at a cost of ₹38 crore to irrigate nearly 2,500 hectares in five grama panchayats. Though a sum of ₹70 crore was spent for the purpose, it is yet to be completed.
The alleged delay in land acquisition owing to lack of coordination among departments and legal issues between the department and contractors led to the delay in completing the project.
MLAs Mathew T. Thomas, Manjalam Kuzhi Ali, C.H. Kunhambu, M. Vincent, T. Siddique, and M. Rajagopal are the other members of the team.
O.R. Kelu, MLA, District Collector Renu Raj, and senior officials accompanied the panel members.
