SIT to probe 'irregularities' in Jalyukt scheme: Deshmukh

The Maharashtra government has decided to hand over to the SIT the probe into the "irregularities" in the Jalyukt Shivar water conservation scheme as the CAG report has raised questions on its quality and results, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Thursday.

His statement comes a day after the state government announced a probe into the Jalyukt Shivar scheme launched by the earlier Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation.

The "Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan", a pet project of Fadnavis, was launched in 2014 with the objective of making Maharashtra drought-free by 2019.

The project involved deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen stop dams, work on nullahs and digging of farm ponds.Shiv Sena, whose president Uddhav Thackeray is now the state chief minister, was also a part of the Fadnavis-led government during 2014-2019.

However, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report submitted to the state legislature last month had observed that the scheme, under which Rs 9,633.75 crore were spent, was not much effective.

It had little impact in achieving water neutrality and increasing the ground water level and its execution was characterized by lack of transparency, the CAG had said.