HYDERABAD, Jan 9: The management of the National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses (NPIW) and the revenue department have issued notices to 21 farmers’ associations in Hyderabad district reportedly for not carrying out lining work at their watercourses against the government releases made to them under the NPIW scheme.

This was stated by DCO Aftab Ahmed Khatri at a meeting held at his office on Friday to review the recovery position on account of the non-performing farmers’ associations in the district.

The DCO said that the government had taken serious notice of the misuse of releases made to the farmers’ associations under the NPIW and of not carrying out uplift work on watercourses.

The government, he said, had decided to take action against such defaulters, which might include recovery of full amount or registration of FIRs against them.

The DCO directed the officials concerned to reinvestigate the matter and submit the list of such defaulters and issue legal notices to them. He warned the farmers’ associations registered under the NPIW not to misuse the government funds. The official urged the farmers’ bodies to utilise the funds provided to them efficiently as it was in their own interest and would prove beneficial to the country.

The DCO said that data compiled as on Sept 2008 showed dues worth Rs3.44 million outstanding against unwilling farmers’ associations but after issuance of notices to those defaulters work costing Rs1.314 million was started on different watercourses by various farmers’ associations thus reducing the outstanding figure to Rs2.129 million. Out of that amount, he added, Rs200,000 had been recovered from the defaulting farmers’ association and steps were being under taken for the recovery of the remaining amount.

The DCO directed the management of the NPIW and the relevant revenue officials to expedite their recovery efforts in addition to the pace of development work on watercourses.

Earlier, the EDO agriculture Hyderabad, Shahabuddin Siddiqui, while briefing the meeting said that the number of the defaulting farmers’ associations who were served notices had been compiled since 2005.

He said that time had been provided to those associations through notices/warnings as such many of them had started their work and were gearing up to start their work or refund the government amount or face the music.

Giving performance of the ongoing development work, Mr Siddiqui said that out of the 80 targeted watercourses for lining, eight were completed by Dec 31, 2008 and lining work on 19 watercourses was under way. He said that the pace of development work had been increased and efforts were being made to achieve full target of lining of 80 watercourses by June 30.

DCO Hyderabad directed the officials concerned to revise their strategy and to ensure that the given target for lining of 80 watercourses be achieved. He also directed the revenue officers to take legal action against the defaulting farmers’ associations under the Land Revenue Act to ensure transparent utilization of the government funds.

EDO revenue, DDOs revenue, Mukhtiarkar taluka Hyderabad rural and NPIW officials attended the meeting.