Audit of canal repair expenditre on anvil: Minister

Bhopal, Nov 6 (UNI) The government today told the Madhya Pradesh Assembly that a bill would be introduced soon providing for auditing of expenditure being made by water users committees for the maintenance of irrigation canals in the state.

Water Resources Minister Anup Mishra, while replying to the call attention notice moved by Mr Satyadeo Katare (Cong), said at present the expenditure being made by the committees were not audited and the bills were kept by the committees itself. The committees had also taken exception to repair work being undertaken as department work.

Mr Katare said at present there was no control on the water users committees and no evaluation of the work was being made.

The Rajasthan government has informed that water will be released into the Chambal canal tomorrow facilitating irrigation in Bhind district, Mr Mishra said.

He admitted that irrigation facility was not at present available from ABC canal and BMC canal in Bhind district due to non-availability of water. The canal embankment had damaged as people use it for transportation by tractors, he said, adding shrubs had grown up in the canal.

Scarce rains had caused problems for farmers in Bhind district.

The government was making efforts to provide canal water upto the tail end though it had not succeeded in this regard so far, the minister said.

The Minister denied Mr Katare's contention that the affected farmers were starving and many had migrated. Few farmers had committed suicide also, while maintenance of the canals were not undertaken in the past three years as a result of which trees were growing in the canal, Mr Katare added.

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