A LETTER TO CHIEF MINISTER

                                                                                                               Dated: 08.06.2013

To,

Sh. Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Chief Ministrer

Govt. of Haryana

Chandigarh

SUBJECT:  COLLUSIVE CORRUPTION IN IMPLEMENTATION OF MICRO-IRRIGATION SCHEMES IN DEPTT. OF AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE.

Hon’ble Sir,

It has already been brought to your kind notice that there is massive fraud to the tune of more than 200 crores rupees (as per calculation vide my letter dated 21.01.2013) in the approval of rates of different components of sprinkler sets, under-ground pipe lines and drip system and large scale swindle of subsidy through fake and bogus firms through my earlier letters dated 21.01.2013 and 22.09.2012 addressed to your good self. It is painful to point it out that the scam appears to be well patronized and is in operation through a well-oiled nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen.

Through my aforesaid letters I have tried to apprise you about the details of the systematic loot of the unsuspecting farmers and the state exchequer by approving the rates of the components of the equipment more than one and a half time higher than the actual rates as it is evident from a simple comparison with rates as approved in Gujarat State for the same components with the same specifications and with the same ISI code as tabulated below:

TABLE No.: 1

Sr.No.	Name of component	ISI Code	Units	Prices in (Rs.)
				Gujarat	Haryana
1.	90mmx2.5Kg HDPE pipe with Coupler	14151	6mtr.	508.48	852.00
2.	Sprinkler Attachment	14151	-	285.47	485.00
3.	Sprinkler Nozzle	12232	-	356.21	530.00
4.	90mm dia of 2.5Kg. pressure HDPE base Sprinkler set consisting of 40 ½ pipe and 10 sprinklers	-	-	28529.00	48552.00

2. As the subsidy is 50% of the cost of set, the farmers in Haryana have to pay about Rs. 24000/-while in Gujarat farmers pay Rs. 14000/- for the same sprinkler set. In this way the farmer in Haryana gets the benefit of about Rs. 4000/- only (28000-24000) while the supplier firm is unduly benefited to the tune of Rs. 20,000/- (48000-28000). This booty of Rs. 20000/- is shared among the supplier firms and corrupt officials of the department. The huge subsidy meant for farmers to enhance the irrigation efficiency is harvested in this way by the functionaries of the soil conservation of agriculture department and their supplier friends and only a tiny part reaches the farmers.

3. Further, more than a six dozen supplier firms have been empanelled and most of them are brief case fake firms in violation of guidelines of Govt. of India. As per Gresham’s law of Money,  bad money drives good money out of circulation; likewise the fake firms have driven out the genuine firms out of market. More than 75% of the subsidy is disbursed to such fake firms hobnobbing with corrupt officials of the department.

4.  Genuine firms are ready and willing to offer lower rates of the equipment comparable to that of Gujarat but surprisingly the officials with vested interest in collusion with the unscrupulous firms have formed a nexus to defeat it. In Horticulture department of Haryana itself renowned M/s Jain Irrigation Company has quoted rates of the various components of drip and mini sprinkler in the same range as that of Gujarat but Horticulture department has played a trick by roping in the unscrupulous firms whose rates have been approved almost double to that of M/s Jain Irrigation. The table as under exposes this story:-

Sr.No.	Components	ISI No.	Unit	M/s Jain Irrigation	M/s Harvell Agua	M/s Finolex	Gujarat Rates
1.	PVC Pipes
	63mm x 4KG	4985	Mtr.	40.40	63.00	55.30	37.28
	75mmx4kG	4985	Mtr.	57.85	82.00	76.70	53.80
2.	HDPE Pipes
	63mmx4kg	14151	Mtr.	69.16	136.00	130.00	56.13
	75mmx4Kg	14151	Mtr.	97.58	194.00	180.00	97.98
	90mmx4Kg.	14151	Mtr.	139.16	279.00	250.00	139.51
3.	Fetilizer Tank with Assembly
	30 Ltrs.	MS	No.	4275.00	5000.00	5200.00	2582.00

M/s Jain Irrigation rates are in range of Gujarat rates while the rates of M/s Harvell Agua a Delhi based firm having its manufacturing unit in  Rewari are almost double than that of M/s Jain Irrigation in Haryana but it supplies its products in Gujarat just at half the rate of Haryana. There are several other firms offering arbitrarily exorbitant rates which have been patronized by the Horticulture Department.

5. Amazingly, the two sister departments headed by the same Principal Secretary and the same Minister of Agriculture have approved different rates for the same item of identical specifications in an arbitrary manner. The table below explains it:

Sr.No.	Name of Component	ISI No.	Unit	Gujarat Rates	Agriculture Deptt. Rates (in Rs.)	Horticulture Deptt. Rates (in Rs.)
						Jain Irrigation	Harvell
1.	PVC Pipes
	75mmx4Kg.	4985	Mtr.	53.58	66.00	57.85	82.00
	90mmx4Kg.	4985	Mtr.	74.94	96.00	81.05	114.00
	110mmx4Kg	4985	Mtr.	107.32	135.00	117.20	165.00

This cannot be merely an oversight rather it smells something foul. Before approving rates for 2012-2013, the undersigned had apprised all the concerned about these on-going arbitrary practices pertaining to approval of rates. Still, continuation of such practice raises serious doubts.

In view of the aforesaid facts I once again request your good self to kindly examine the whole issue critically in favour of farmers’ interests and against malpractices of vested interests.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,                                                                                                                               

(RAM KANWAR)

Village: Dulina, PO: Silani

Dist. : Jhajjar

Mobile : 09991522270