A few civil rights forums, including the Gujarat chapter of People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL), on Tuesday alleged that Gujarat government's ambitious 'Sujalam Sufalam Water Conservation Scheme 2018' was launched to cover up corruption in Gujarat Land Development Corporation (GLDC).
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PUCL, Gujarat Social Watch, civil rights activist Gautam Thaker, and former Gujarat chief minister Suresh Mehta claimed that the scheme was announced immediately after cash, amounting to lakhs of rupees, was seized from top officers of GLDC in a raid.
Dubbing it institutionalised corruption at the government level, Mehta said such type of corruption was “unheard of”.
In the wake of the raid, works related to water conservation schemes were shifted from GLDC to the Narmada and Water Resources Department.
Mahesh Pandya of Gujarat Social Watch alleged that the state government was fooling people by saying that such a programme to deepen lakes, tanks and reservoirs was being carried out for the first time. Pandya pointed out that under Sardar Patel Community Water Conservation Scheme in 2014-15, the number of check dams was increased from 1,65,560 to 1,68,895. There has also been an increase in the number of weirs in the following years. “How can you say that such a programme is being organised for the first time,” he questioned.
If the expenses have been incurred under the water conservation scheme, how is it that 100 days of employment was provided under MGNREGA, asked economist Rohit Shukla. He also expressed shock over the fact that even teachers were involved in the work of deepening of ponds, and that too during peak summer.
The activists and Mehta rued that the state government had not come out clean over the scheme. Mehta said they waited for a few days for the government to come out with the details of expenses, but decided to go public as expenses have not been divulged.
Initially, the state government sources had said it was a Rs 345 crore project, but later the chief minister's office said it was a Rs 200 crore project. Pandya pointed out that the state government first said 527 JCB machines were to be used for the project, but later claimed that 4,600 machines were used. Besides, as against previous figure of deploying 27,000 people, a total of three lakh people worked for the project.