Despite incurring a huge expenditure of Rs208.37 crore on the construction of Kaushalya Dam near Amravati area, Haryana Government has failed to provide drinking water to the residents of Panchkula from this recently constructed dam.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Haryana in its audit report found that the objective to supply drinking water to Panchkula town from the said dam could not be achieved due to non-availability of water in reservoir of Kaushalya Dam.The State Government in December 2005 had approved a project for ‘construction of an earthen dam across river Kaushalya near Pinjore to supply drinking water to Panchkula town, recharge ground water, check flash floods, and promote tourism and fisheries in reservoir area. It took more than seven years to complete this dam, albeit, the objective to get drinking water from this reservoir is still not achieved.
In October 2013, the Principal Secretary intimated that partial achievement had been made by supplying eight cusecs/day to Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which is quite less than the expected quantity 40.3 cusecs/day (16 July to 30 September) and 18.4 cusecs/day (1 October to 15 July) in this project. However, in June 2013 the water level in the reservoir was at elevation level of 456.90 meter against the bed level of 450 meter.
CAG has found number of irregularities and deficiencies in the construction of this dam across river Kaushalya even.The CAG stated, Initially, in December 2005, the said project for construction of a dam across river Kaushalya was approved for Rs51.37 crore, but the administrative approval of this project was revised in September 2011 to Rs217 crore due to increase in cost of land, height and top width of the dam to provide passage for residential sectors being developed by HUDA on the other side of river thereafter.
The Irrigation Department had constructed the earthen dam with 34 metre height and 30 metre top width at a cost of Rs208.37 crore up to May 2013.
The work of construction of Kaushalya dam and its appurtenant works allotted in March 2008 to an agency was required to be completed by June 40, 2010. As per clause 39.3 condition of contract, the liquidated damages are at the rate of 10 per cent of 27, 40.3 cusecs during the filling period (July 16 to September 30) and 18.4 cusecs during depleting period (October 1 to July 15).
The value for the work/final contract price was to be levied against the agency for non-completion work in stipulated time period. An extension in time was granted to the agency up to March 31, 2011. But the agency had failed to complete the work even within the extended time limit which was completed by June 2012. The department had neither extended the time limit nor levied liquidated penalty of Rs11.29 crore (10 percent of agreement amount of Rs112.99 crore) against the agency. However, the fact remains that the quantum of penalty had not been decided even by the concerned department after lapse of 18 months from the date of completion of work, pointed out CAG.
The report said that Department also provided undue benefit to the contractor by deducting less security. Security at the rate of 10 percent of the gross amount of each running bill should be deducted from all running bills till the deposit reaches five per cent of the tendered value.