Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis welcomes ACB inquiry in Jalyukta Shivar projects

Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday welcomed the MVA government's decision to order a probe into Jalyukta Shivar, a water conservation scheme promoted by him during his tenure as the chief minister.

The Maharashtra government had on Wednesday ordered an inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 900 work orders under the Jalyukta Shivar, which was the flagship scheme of the Fadnavis-led BJP government in 2014-19.

Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said, "I welcome the decision to probe the 950 works in Jalyukta Shivar scheme. During my tenure, I had already given similar probe orders into 600 works. These schemes were implemented under district collectors, with an average cost of Rs 1 lakh to 1.25 lakh. Some seven departments in a collectorate were involved in the scheme."

Earlier on Wednesday, state water conservation minister Shankarrao Gadakh said 900 projects that had violated guidelines and where the quality of work was inferior will face an open ACB inquiry.

Further, district collectors would conduct inquiry into some six lakh other works sanctioned under the scheme and check the quality of the work and if the procedures were followed or not, Gadakh had said.

The Jalyukta Shivar scheme, pushed in a big way by the BJP-led government, focused on the construction of farm ponds, weirs on channels and streams as well as river-bed cleaning and widening. It also faced allegations of corruption and "non-scientific" approach to water conservation.

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