CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the State Government over mismanagement of funds provided by the Central Government under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme. Acting on a petition filed by advocate Srikant Padhi alleging gross irregularities on the basis of the observations made in the CAG report, the division bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra has directed the Government to file its response. Citing the CAG report, the petitioner stated before the court that the audit of the AIBP implementation in the State revealed the projects lagged behind schedule. As a result, there was a cost overrun of ` 3,537 crore. The irrigation potential created was a mere 0.88 lakh hectares accounting for only 27 per cent of the target, despite huge investment of ` 3,121.27 crore. There was mismanagement of funds involving substantial excess payment to contractors as well as wasteful expenditure and fraudulent payments amounting to ` 836 crore. Padhi further alleged that no Monitoring Committee was constituted at the project level while the State-level Committee had met only once in 2006. Indicating other irregularities, he appealed to the Court to direct and inquiry by constituting a commission presided by a retired High Court or Supreme Court judge. He has also sought a direction to the State Government to not take any major decision on the projects under AIBP without prior permission of the Court.
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