Dhansiri Irrigation Project: 46 yrs elapsed, Rs 444 crore spent, but not yet complete

DHANSIRI IRRIGATION PROJECT

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Rs 15.83-crore Dhansiri Irrigation Project started way back in 1975 has scripted a record of sorts. The project is not complete yet, even after spending nearly Rs 500 crore in the past 46 years. The project is a cause of concern for the State Assembly on Friday.

During the Question Hour, UPPL MLA Gobinda Chandra Basumatary said, "The project began in 1975 with an estimated cost of Rs 15 crore. The scheduled completion of the project was five years. However, the Irrigation Department spent nearly Rs 500 crore on the project in the past 46 years. Strangely enough, the project is not yet complete."

BPF MLA Durga Das Boro said, "The project began when we were quite young. And the construction of the project is still going on. The project made many people rich, but its target beneficiaries are not getting anything from it. The government should order an inquiry into the entire episode and fix the responsibility."

In his reply, Irrigation Minister Ashok Singal said, "There are many factors behind the delay. Before starting the project, the then government overlooked many factors. The project began in 1975 with an estimated cost of Rs 15.83 crore. The government revised the project cost many times, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 566.18 crore now. We have set the target of March 31, 2022, for the completion of the project. The physical progress of the project is 94 per cent after spending Rs 444.18 crore. I, however, doubt if the project will benefit the public after its completion.

"Works like design, testing, model testing etc., of the project took four years. The contractor of the project didn't do the work. The government cancelled the contract in 1981, and the issue landed in court. After the legal battle in 1983, the government engaged another contractor. The project then hit a roadblock in land acquisition. The project could not progress from 1979-85 because of the Assam Agitation. The Bodo Agitation also stopped the work of the project from 1985-93. The problem of insurgency was always there.

"The government revised the project in 2004 but gave the investment clearance in 2007. The government resumed the project with a target schedule of three years but could not meet it. Poor allocation of funds and improper budgetary allocations also led to the delay of the project.

"Initially, the project was interlinked with the Dhansiri Hydroelectric Power Project in which the Irrigation Department constructed five chute falls. The Assam State Electricity Board built up the infrastructure for power generation in 1986 that could not achieve satisfactory progress, leading to the suspension of the project work in 1996. However, in 2013 Assam Power Project Development Company took up the project for its revival.

"In the meantime, parts of the project structure started to get damaged. We can think of anything new to the project to make it beneficial only after its completion.

"I also want an investigation into the project taking long 46 years, besides cost escalation."

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