A project of conservation and beautification of historical ponds of Rs 4.28 crore was sanctioned for the renovation and beautification of Sarang Talab in Sarnath area a few months back. Without beginning of any work, the VDA made a payment of Rs 42 lakh to the contractor recently. A complaint was made to divisional commissioner CK Tiwari recently and he ordered the VDA vice-chairman VK Singh to give a report within two days.

Singh said on Sunday that the report would be submitted to the commissioner on Monday. He reiterated that the contractor had started the work and Rs 42 lakh had been paid after getting the verification reports from the executive engineer of VDA and also the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which is the consultant for this project. He claimed that the contractor had done the work to drain out water from pond and check the disposal of sewage in the Sarang Talab.

Son of Sarangnath temple's mahant Manish Upadhyaya told TOI on Sunday that he had not seen any work for the conservation or renovation of Sarang Talab in past few years and the people who are claiming to begin any project here should come before the local residents to prove it. Retired police sub-inspector Umakant Tiwari also denied to have seen anybody working there for the conservation of historical water body. Local shopkeeper Babaji said that after renovation works done in 2004-05, he did not see anybody doing repair work at Sarang Talab.

"Two-three days back some people had visited the site. They dumped mud in the drains through which rain water was reaching the pond during Monsoon," said Babaji. The local residents mentioned the name Pawan Pandey and said that he had installed a water pump to fill water in Sarang Talab when it had turned dry during draught a few years back. When asked that VDA is claiming that the contractor had drained out the water from pond, Manish said: "Had the water been removed from it how is still visible in the pond and how the fish are alive."Despite these claims of the local residents, the VDA vice-chairman said that the allegations being leveled on the agency for making payment without beginning of work are baseless and these practices are being done by the contractors who failed to get this work during tender process. He said that the project was delayed due cases filed by farmers pending in courts for disposal.