Patna: The water resources department on Tuesday lodged an FIR against 68 engineers and three contractors for irregularities in various flood-control projects and compromising on their quality in Katihar, Purnea and Saharsa districts.

All these districts are flood-prone ones.

Departmental proceedings will also be initiated against the engineers, who were given the important task related to protecting the areas in these districts from flood fury during this monsoon.

The FIRs were lodged on the instructions of water resources minister Rajiv Ranjan "Lalan" Singh, after vigilance flying squad and quality control teams of the department detected the irregularities.

"Work has been started on phase I of an embankment on both sides of the Mahananda river in Katihar district, which was disastrously affected by floods last year. Gross irregularities were found in the compaction work of the embankments and the contractor was given excess payment. Hence the FIR has been lodged there against 20 engineers, right from the rank of junior engineers to executive engineers," public relations officer Arvind Kumar Singh told The Telegraph.

A water resources official said excess amount paid to the contractors is being investigated and could run into crores.

Other major irregularities have been detected in restoration of the Eastern Kosi Canal in Purnea and an FIR has been lodged against 42 engineers and the contractor of the work "NR-JKN-Kamla", a joint venture.

"Irregularities have been detected in de-siltation, outlet repair and restoration work of Eastern Kosi Canal and the case was registered because the government took serious note of it," Arvind said.

Similarly, an FIR has been lodged in Saharsa in Kosi canal outlet works against the contractor, Hyderabad-based construction company IVRCL Limited, which is currently debt-ridden and undergoing resolution process.