Dhansiri Irrigation Project becomes white elephant, GUCCF seeks probe

From our Correspondent

MANGALDAI, July 12: Dhansiri Irrigation project - one of the major irrigation projects in the State  got underway in 1974-75 with a budget of  Rs. 15.83 crore along the picturesque triangular border of Assam, Aruchal Pradesh and Bhutan with an objective to irrigate 12000 hectares of cultivable land. But the project could not be completed till date even though the budget was enhanced up to Rs 575 crore which hampered the poor and needy farmers of the vast region.

There is a nexus among the officials, employees and contractors concerned and their utter negligence, alleged the newly formed Greater Udalguri Conscious Citizens' Forum (GUCCF). It has demanded the newly-formed State Government to take proper action to unearth all such odds hindering the completion of this major project.

The people of Assam used their conscience and changed the 15-year old Congress government and allowed the BJP alliance to make a great change in the State on all fronts. The government after its formation started the reformation in a good speed and the people also started getting the flavor of change. But, contrary to it, the poor people of Udalguri area, mostly the farmers, do not see any form of change in the Dhansiri irrigation project, one of the major irrigation projects of Assam for last 40 years.

The newly-formed Greater Udalguri Conscious Citizens' Forum (GUCCF) expressed deep concern and alleged that the Dhansiri Irrigation Project, known as one of the major irrigation projects in the State, had turned into a white elephant due to the faulty action plans, rampant large-scale corruption and lack of awareness among the farmers who would have been the beneficiaries of the project. GUCCF president Prafulla Kumar Basumatary and secretary Dalim Bayan have expressed concern over the alleged indifferent attitude of the new Irrigation Minister Ranjit Dutta during his recent visit to Bhairabkunda to take stock of the development. Later, talking to The Sentinel, secretary of GUCCF, Dalim Bayan said that the Irrigation Minister old the delegation of the organization that he was not aware of the irregularities and scams of the irrigation project during the regime of Congress but would not allow any form of corruption in his regime. Dalim Bayan further said that people hoped that the new government would never spare anyone having corruption charges and inquiries would be there to unfold all such scams but the Irrigation Minister never hinted to conduct any form of inquiry in the 'never-ending' process of the Dhansiri irrigation project.

A memorandum submitted by GUCCF ruled out any disturbance in completing the irrigation project and questioned how some officers and employees related to the Dhanisiri irrigation project could carry out their works without a transfer from this place for ages and wanted to know whether the officials of the project lodged any FIR in the police station regarding disturbance from anti-social elements or the insurgent groups. The memorandum also alleged that the last tender of Dhansiri irrigation project was invited in 2014 but there were instances of some works carried out without inviting tenders just after the assembly elections by the executive engineers concerned by allotting works to some selected contractors. The organization therefore demanded a high-level inquiry at the earliest.

The Dhansiri irrigation project was started in 1974-75 but till date it has not been able to serve the purpose of the farmers due to ubated corruption in it since its inception for which the farmers of the region have termed it as 'Dhansiri Never Ending Irrigation Project'.

 Meanwhile, the United Dhansiri-Jampani Bundh Committee, Bandarguri has decided to approach the Union Government as well as the Chief Minister with a demand to conduct a CBI inquiry to bring a permanent solution of the project. Earlier to this, the committee requested the Standing Committee on Water Resources under the Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Ministry of Water Resources of the Government of India way back on November 10, 2011 with a plea to complete the irrigation project.