Nevji Rathwa (60), from Ghodiyala village in southern Pavi Jetpur, has sown onion and cotton seeds on his 3.5 acres of land this season and continues to be dependent on monsoon for irrigation.

This is despite the fact that a proposal was forwarded to the Irrigation Department to construct a check dam using funds released on the basis of the Cowlagi Committee report earlier this year.

But no check dam has come up yet. The reason: a tug of war between NGOs and MLA Mohansinh Rathwa. Dahod-based NGO N M Sadguru Water and Development Foundation was given the task to construct these dams allegedly without issuing tenders.

Former District Planning Officer B L Nalvaya had allegedly given the work to construct four check dams worth Rs 33 lakh each at Zab and Ghodiyala villages, without floating any tenders.

“Ours is a reputed NGO and we have been doing work for the last 37 years. The state government has provisions for NGOs like us to give funds directly for works in rural areas,” said Harnath Jagawat, director Sadguru Foundation. When asked how much work has been done in the villages, he said, “It is quite evident… we have been doing work for the poor and we even incur loses.”

Kachan Rathwa from Godhiyala, who has recently begun digging wells under NREGA, said: “While there is not much problem in other areas of Pavi Jetpur, southern parts are suffering a lot. I was the one who had showed the location (for check dam) to the engineers, but the work never started. They did a survey and returned.”

... contd.