State Irrigation Department Fails To Utilize Rs 10 Crore

GUWAHATI: It remains a mystery as to why the State Irrigation department failed to submit proposals of irrigation schemes damaged by floods under the State Disaster Respond Fund (SDRF) during fiscal 2018-2019. As a result, an amount of Rs 10 crore allocated for the department remained unutilized during that period. This is despite the fact that a number of irrigation schemes were damaged by floods in 2018.

The SDRF allocation, based on 90:10 shares between the Centre and the State, is finalized by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In the State, it is released by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department. The allocated money is meant to be utilized for restoration and repair of various projects, including embankments, irrigation projects and roads in the flood-hit areas of the State, besides meeting the gratuity relief demands of flood-affected people.

The SDRF fund allocation from the Centre for 2018-2019 was Rs 532 crore. On the other hand, the expenditure of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department during that fiscal was Rs 438 crore. It was utilized for various emergency works like immediate repair of embankments, roads and gratuity relief, including ex gratia to the next of kin of victims of natural disasters. After carrying out the projects, the department had a savings of Rs 291.60 crore till April 1, 2019 with an opening balance amount.

The Central allocation of the SDRF amount for the financial year 2019-2020 (that commenced from April 1, 2019) is Rs 559 crore. Meanwhile, for the current fiscal, the State Government is planning to release Rs 50 crore in advance to the Deputy Commissioners in the flood-affected areas much before the onset of the monsoon. This amount from the SDRF is to be used primarily under the ‘Gratuity Relief’ head for eventual relief of the flood-affected people. The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has already moved the State Finance Department in this regard, a source said.

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