Now, IDCs to reimburse only 25 per cent of establishment cost from water charges
| Date :17-Sep-2019 |
By Kartik Lokhande :
Providing a relief to Irrigation Development Corporations (IDCs) in the State, Water Resources Department (WRD) has decided to reduce the reimbursement of establishment expenses they were supposed to pay to the Government. This has been done considering that ‘recovering these expenses from the water charges recovered by irrigation development corporations might adversely affect repairs and maintenance of irrigation projects’. As per the Government Resolution (GR) dated November 17, 2016, it was made mandatory for IDCs namely Vidarbha, Tapi, Godavari-Marathwada, Konkan, and Maharashtra Krishna Valley to meet their expenses from the charges recovered from irrigation and non-irrigation users in respective areas.
According to the officials, who did not wish to be named, it was decided to utilise charges recovered for water used for irrigation on respective projects. From the non-irrigation water charges, 60 per cent of the recovered amount was to be deposited in State-level Irrigation Fund, and remaining 40 per cent was to be spent on management of irrigation projects in respective IDC area. From the State- level Irrigation Fund, WRD was to redistribute the funds to IDCs in proportion of irrigation potential created.
As per the data for irrigation potential created in State by the end of June, Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation has 35.14 per cent of total irrigation potential created in Maharashtra. It is followed by Godavari Marathwada IDC with 30.83 per cent of irrigation potential created, Vidarbha IDC with 23.12 per cent, Tapi IDC with 8.33 per cent, and Konkan IDC with 2.58 per cent of irrigation potential created in State. These IDCs were supposed to get proportionate share from State-level Irrigation Fund. As per the norms set in 2016, the Government would provide necessary aid to meet expenditure on account of establishment for irrigation management and the respective IDCs were supposed to reimburse the same. As per the formula fixed in 2016, the IDCs were to reimburse 20 per cent of the establishment expenditure in 2016-17, followed by 40 per cent in 2017-18, 60 per cent in 2018-19, 80 per cent in 2019-20, and 100 per cent in 2020-21.
However, according to sources in the know of things, in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the reimbursement received by the Government from IDCs was much lesser than 20 per cent and 40 per cent. In July 2019, Vidarbha IDC sent a letter to Secretary (Water Resources Management), WRD, stating that an amount of Rs 48 crore was deposited with the Government in 2018-19 on account of the reimbursement of establishment expenditure. “The amount recovered on account of water charges is proving to be inadequate to meet repair and maintenance expenses, and hence the Government is requested to reduce the contributions on account of reimbursement of establishment expenses,” it was stated. Similar concern was expressed by the other IDCs in the State.
Against this backdrop, and considering the situation at IDC level as far as recovery of water charges is concerned, now WRD has changed the norm. As per the change effected last week, now the IDC are required to reimburse only 25 per cent of the establishment expenses every year since 2017-18. The remaining will be provided for by the Government. This step will leave some money with the IDCs to carry out repairs and maintenance. At the same time, WRD has asked the IDCs to meet 81 per cent of the expenses on account of electricity bills of lift irrigation schemes from the non-irrigation water charges. “Though the important clause of depositing share of recovered water charges with State-level Irrigation Fund and its redistribution in proportion to irrigation potential created remains the same, reduction in reimbursement of establishment expenses is definitely a relief for IDCs,” said an official on condition of anonymity.