| Ground Water Division in deep slumber, XEn blames media for raising issue | | Public hand pumps at prominent places in Rajouri lying defunct | |  ANKIT KESSAR
Early Times Report
RAJOURI, Nov 7: The slackness of the Ground Water Division of Jal Shakti Department can be gauged from the fact that the majority of public hand pumps at prominent places in Rajouri have been lying defunct but concerned departments, instead of repairing them it gave its excuse of financial constraint.
Astonishingly, the concerned Executive Engineer blamed the media for unnecessarily exaggerating such issues and highlighting them in the media without knowing the facts. But the fact of the matter is that many hand pumps are out of order and need immediate repair.
Sources told Early Times that the Ground Water Division is in the habit of shunning his responsibility putting people in distress. "There are several points in Rajouri town where hand pumps are not working including Panja Chowk, which is ever busy road but the hand pump is out of order, one hand pump which is at beginning of ITI Road, similarly a hand pump near private school Happy Home School, which has been laying defunct for the last five years," they said further adding that there many more such hand pumps around Rajouri, which are not functioning.
Locals alleged that the senior officials including Executive Engineer, AEE don't sit in the Rajouri Office and always remain in Jammu and operate from there. When Early Times contacted AEE, he said that there are many stations under him, so he can't spare time for Rajouri and moreover there are no funds for their repairs.
Meanwhile, the response of the concerned Executive Engineer Ground Water MK Khurana was also disappointing, when he was contacted in this connection. He said that there is no such problem in the Rajouri, and blamed the media for highlighting the issue unnecessarily without knowing facts. He further said that they have no funds for their immediate repairs. "It is the duty of Panchayat members for repairs of the defunct hand pumps, while in Municipal area, it is the duty of councillor," he said.
When contacted, DDC Rajouri Mohd Nazeer Sheikh said that he would talk to the concerned department to carry out the repairs of the hand pumps. |
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