The Director of the Central Water Commission (CWC), Guwahati, Ram Saran, has held the State Planning Department responsible for the fund crunch facing the Champabati (Major) Irrigation Project. Sources said that the Government of Assam could invest in the project an amount of Rs 48.76 crore only till 1996-97 and the project was brought under the purview of Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) in 1996-97 for its early completion. A Central loan of Rs 13 crore has been released for the project till 2002-03. As a result, the total expenditure incurred on the project has now increased to Rs 73.24 crore till March 2003.