S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, Nov 20: Despite the claim by PDP-BJP government that it is committed to make progress and development in many sectors there are reports that funds which were allocated to PHE department for implementing new projects in Kupwara district have remained unspent even after having much need to utilize them in the developmental work.
Sources on anonymity told Early Times that people in Kupwara district are prone to water-borne diseases as the stream and tube well water is unfit for drinking. They said the concerned department is hardly bothered about the implementation of the schemes.
There are many schemes in villages like Renan, Reshipora, Sahipora, Rajpora, Taratpora, Tillwari, Udipora, Ujiroo, Wadipora, Wagat, Wahipora, Cheerkote, Cheramandi, Khaipora, Chountipora, Khahgund, Lilam and Manzgam which have not been executed since the last one year.
"Many far flung villages in this district are facing an acute shortage of water as the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department is yet to finish the work of supplying tap water to homes. The apathy from the PHE department has ensured that people fail to avail the benefits of the water supply scheme under the National Rural Water Drinking Programme (NRWDP)," said sources. The central and state governments have sanctioned a number of PHE schemes to provide safe drinking water to every citizen of the state particularly in the remote areas and those which have not been covered yet, sources informed.
"Due to callous attitude of the concerned department the implementation of central and state schemes remains an elusive dream in for the inhabitants of this district," sources alleged.
It has also been learnt from sources that there are number of schools under SSA and ICDS centres that are without water connections from past couple of years. The water pipes of different sizes of the PHE department were sold to the local shopkeepers on low rates.
Sources said that the concerned department was supposed to undertake maintenance and execution, of schemes related to water supply and sanitation in both rural and urban areas of this border district, but the concerned department has failed in doing so.
Sources said that due to non implementation of schemes it seems there is a fishy in executing the projects in time as unplanned and unspent has been attributed to several reasons including, convoluted bureaucratic hurdles, under the provisions for awarding contracts, non issuance of tenders and corruption among public office holders.
"There should be a thorough probe in the embezzlement of funds what so ever that why huge amount was not spent during the allocated time," sources said.
Local residents of Kupwara district felt that need of the hour is to make PHE department more accountable and transparent in spending huge amount on developmental work in the town and other far flung areas of the district. |
