Karwar: Expressing disappointment over the slow progress of works related to the minor irrigation department in Uttara Kannada district, Minor Irrigation Minister J C Madhuswamy asked the department chief engineer to review the works and submit a report to the department within a week.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the progress of various works of the department in Karwar on Thursday, he said that there were several flaws in the works taken up by the department. The officials were also seen neglecting the work and so, he had given a last warning to the officials.

Presiding over the meeting, the minister took the officials of the department to task. The officials informed that of the 96 minor irrigation-related works sanctioned in 2019-20, four were in the stage of tender, 31 works were yet to begin, two works were in re-tender stage and 18 works in progress. Irked over the officials giving incomplete information, Madhuswamy cautioned that he will review the works accurately even after returning to Bengaluru.

While reviewing the work, the minister found differences in the information given to him before the meeting and at the meeting. Angry over this, he questioned, “Who has given these facts. Are they in senses? Instead of writing Rs 50 lakh, he has written Rs 500 lakh (Rs 5 crore).”

“Tenders for many works have been allocated for the amount which is more than the estimated amount. The works which cost less in other districts are shown with escalated amount here. How is this possible,” he questioned. Engineer M P Kalas failed to a satisfactory answer to this. So, the minister asked the department to relive him from the work.

The minister also observed that as many as 19 works in the district had been bagged by a single contractor from Andhra Pradesh. All the tenders had a greater amount. Questioning how that was possible, he asked the department chief secretary to blacklist the contractor.

He also warned officials from being absent to taluk, zilla panchayat and KDP meetings. He said steps would be taken in case they fail to attend the meeting

MLA Roopali Naik and Dinakar Shetty said that the officials of the department were working in Uttara Kannada since decades and so, they must be sent out. “Let them see how works are executed in another district,” she said.

Deputy Commissioner K Harishkumar, Minor Irrigation Department Secretary Mrutyunjay, Chief Engineer G T Suresh and others were present.