The lift irrigation project in the bank of Tel river at Pandikimal of Tarbha block in Subarnapur district has failed not only to provide irrigation facilities but also to provide solace to residents of 16 villages who were expected to depend on it for domestic water needs.
Sources said a lift irrigation project of estimated cost of Rs 28.29 crore was planned to irrigate 1,600 hectare land. The project was scheduled to be completed by 2016. But only the intake well, pump house, delivery chamber of the project have been completed till now.
Surprisingly, the Odisha lift Irrigation Corporation (OlIC) Executive Engineer informed at a Zilla Parishad meeting on November 20, 2016 in writing that 94 per cent of the work of the project was completed.
On the other hand, Rs 25.33 crore out of 28.29 crore has been spent on the project till January 2017, which was intimated to District Planning Committee by the OlIC.
The locals demand completion of the project at the earliest and action against the erring officials for claiming that 94 per cent of the project is complete while the ground reality is that less than 60 per cent of the project has been implemented till date.