BHANDARA, June 23: The State Government would disburse Rs 200 crore by March 31, 1998, for the Gosikhurd irrigation project and top priority would be given to the total rehabilitation of the project-hit, assured State Finance Minister and former irrigation minister Mahadeo Shivankar during routine inspection of the project work recently. Many scribes accompanied the minister.

Shivankar informed that the sale of bonds for the ten irrigation projects in Vidarbha had been getting tremendous response and it would ensure quick completion of these projects. He said the government had started the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) as the decision making at the government level consumed a lot of time and in turn delayed works on the projects.

The minister gave a patient hearing to the problems of Gosikhurd project-hit at Vaghun and Ghatumari region about the snail's rate with the rehabilitation programmes were being implemented. Shivankar instructed the officials present to put the rehabilitation of Ghatumari village on their priority list.

He said the rehabilitation programme for Gosikhurd project would be an ideal one and all basic amenities would be provided at the rehabilitated villages.

The villagers also apprised Shivankar of the alleged irregularities in the construction of the dam. They said the civil contractors used substandard material once the supervising engineers left the site. The minister assured them that he would look into the matter.

About the achievements of the Sena-BJP government, Shivankar said the earlier Congress government had spent only Rs 95 crore on the Gosikhurd project over several years. However, the combine government had already spent Rs 100 crore on the project in less than three years, he added.

VIDC chief engineer S L Bhingare, Gosikhurd project superintending engineer R S Gaekwad, executive engineer S V Wankhede, Ambhora lift irrigation scheme executive engineer Ramesh Varghane and Bhandara division executive engineer Baghele were also present.

The engineers informed that with a view to protecting Bhandara town and the ordinance factory from flood waters, 33 huge gates would be installed at the dam and added that work on 12 such gates was in progress currently.

They also informed that the right and the left canals of the Gosikhurd project would irrigate 50,000 and 34,000 hectare of land, respectively.

Similarly, 56,000 hectare of land would be irrigated through the four lift irrigation schemes at Tekepar, Ambhora, Paghora and Mokhabardi.

VIDC chief engineer Bhingare further informed that part of water would be diverted from the Gosikhurd project to Asola Mendha project in Chandrapur district. This would bring additional 50,000 hectare of land in that district under irrigation.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.