The Hindu Business Line : CAG finds fault with groundwater conservation project in AP

THE much-publicised `Neeru-Meeru' programme of the previous Telugu Desam Government in Andhra Pradesh has not achieved its primary objective of recharging groundwater.

In fact, groundwater levels have actually fallen in eight districts during 2003-04, according to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The CAG audit report for 2003-04, tabled in the Assembly on Thursday, stated that programme , launched in the State in May 2004 to promote water conservation by recharge of groundwater, was overloaded with petty works, some costing as low as Rs 400.

As a result, monitoring of execution of works was almost absent. The objective to recharge groundwater was not achieved due to injudicious selection of sites, unscientific selection of works and poor maintenance after completion.

Most of the works executed were "either missing or in poor condition" due to silt formation, damages caused to structures and pilferage of stones.

This apart, the report pointed out, expenditure of Rs 245.36 crore on other works such as laying of roads, lift irrigation and raising nurseries were debited to Neeru-Meeru programme though they were not related to it.

CAG observed that the e-Cops project, launched to improve efficiency and transparency in policing, suffered from serious security lapses, improper input validations and failure to elicit cooperation and acceptance at various levels within the department.

"The department is dependent heavily on Computer Maintenance Corporation for maintenance of the package and administration of data," the report stated.

With regard to the finances of the State Government, CAG said that though the Eleventh Finance Commission had recommended restricting the interest payments to 18 per cent of the revenue receipts, they ranged between 19 and 27 per cent of the revenue receipts during 1999-2004.

The fiscal liabilities at Rs 64,545 crore stood at 2.4 times the revenue receipts and 3.7 times the State's own resources at the end of 2003-04.

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