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| SBM Grameen proves a failure in rural JK | | RDD officials demand Rs 2000 for lavatory blocks | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 28: Swatch Bharat Mission (SBM) Grameen is turning out to be a failure in rural areas of J&K as the officials at the helm of affairs are allegedly charging Rs 2000 from each household who intend to construct a lavatory.
In addition to it, the second component of SBM Grameen Solid Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) is yet to be taken up by the authorities as SMB scheme comes to an end after 14 months.
Details available with Early Times reveal that Panchayat Secretaries of Rural Development Department are allegedly charging Rs 2000 from the individual households for making them entitled for a lavatory block. People who have applied more than 6 months back are yet to be reimbursed with Rs 12000 and the reason is non payment of bribe money of Rs 2000.
Sources said that Panchayat Secretaries/VLWs in Khansahib, Parnue Chadoora and several blocks of Budgam and Shopian districts are not clearing the cases of IHHL unless Rs 2000 is paid to them which is then distributed among officials which includes Block Development Officers (BDOs)
Phase 1 of SBM Grameen will come to an end in October 2019, but ironically under SMB Grameen not even a single project has been taken up in J&K state for management of solid and liquid waste which is a big challenge in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir.
Sources say that the Department of Rural Sanitation has not even prepared a single DPR and during meeting with Chief Secretary some months back, the Directorate lied before the CS on several issues vis a vis SBM Grameen.
Management of Liquid Waste is also part of SBM Grameen and is seen as a challenge in cities as many small and big Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) have become defunct in Srinagar and Jammu cities, but in villages where Liquid Waste could have been easily treated , the authorities have not taken up even one single project which could have been taken up on pilot basis. Under Swatch Bharat Mission (SBM Grameen) , Liquid Waste Management is an important component but from last more than two years not a single rupee has been spent by Directorate of Rural Sanitation in this regard.
J&K had identified one to two villages in each district to accomplish the task of SLWM, but as per reliable sources the said work is yet to take off in spite of the fact that SBM phase 1 is going to end by next year. During the recent meeting called by Chief Secretary B B Vyas, sources say that officers of Rural Development Department (Adm department) and Rural Sanitation provided all the misleading facts before CS SLWM in March this year
In spite of clear cut guidelines under Swatch Bharat Mission Grameen, the Directorate of Rural Sanitation has not undertaken the solid liquid waste management in some 20 to 40 villages which were identified by the Directorate in each district across J&K after getting Open Defecation Free (ODF) certificates. The government has also failed to appoint SWM consultants at district level who are supposed to guide the Rural Development Department (RDD) to prepare the DPRs and work execution.
"SBM has failed on both fronts, that is, on construction on lavatories under IHHL and undertaking of solid and liquid waste management. Only 14 months are left when the scheme comes to an end but achievement of Rural Development Department is zero. We appeal Governor and Chief Secretary to probe the whole scheme and conduct its audit," said Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Khansahib in Budgam. |
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