G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 14: In yet another instance of use of substandard material by Flood Control and Irrigation department, an irrigation channel got damaged within just four months of its construction.
According to sources, the IF&C department constructed a stretch of the channel and commissioned it in March this year, but unfortunately, major portion of the channel got washed-away during recent rainy season. "The department used substandard material including cement and silt instead of sand", informed a local who kept a check on quality of the work.
"We raised an alarm over the quality compromised by the contractor, but the officials of the department were hand in glove with contractor, and did not pay any heed to repeated objections of locals", they added.
Work on proposed five kilometres long irrigation channel started from Kohti Gaiber village to Lall at an approximate cost of the Rs 50 lacs.
"The contractor, used quality material for some of the portion of channel that passed through his own land", they added. Locals said adding that they even met Executive Engineer, IF&C Udhmapur, who assured them that quality will not be compromised at any cost.
"Astonishingly, instead of fixing responsibility of contractor and concerned officials, the XEn asked his subordinate staff to repair the damaged channel", they said and added that it also shows that the XEn surrendered before the nexus, as he did not initiate an enquiry into the scam.
It is pertinent to mention here that the proposed channel was to be connected with Nagualta nallah, in Tehsil Chenani, to irrigate more than two hundred hectare of land. But unfortunately, due to delay in completion of the channel, the tail end villages are still deprived of the irrigation facilities. |
