Rajesh Tandon
Early Times Report
Poonch, Feb 20: The Jal Shakti Department Poonch has literally performed poorly in execution of Water Supply Scheme, which can be gauged from the fact that despite spending crores on their execution over 50% of them are lying defunct in Mendhar. Besides, 70% of Lift Irrigation Schemes in the area are non-functional, depriving the local people of the benefit.
Disclosing the misdeeds of Jal Shakt Department as well as the Irrigation Department of Poonch, the Chairman J&K Border Area Development Conference and former Vice Chancellor, Dr Shahzad Malik said that around 79 Water Supply Schemes were executed by the Jal Shakti Department Poonch in Mendhar but half of them are non functional.
“These schemes were executed in Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote area wherein dozens of Panchayats including Narol, Satral, Kalaban, Gursai Sar, Tavi, Gursai Muri, Parat, Bhata Duria, Naka Manjari, Lower Manjari, Dhargloo, Gohlat Dabarigan, Manak Puri, Kote Kandi, Dharana, Salwa Nar, Bhera, Bhatidhar, Dharam Kund, Pathnadir, Keri Galuta, Kangra Galuta, Salani, Kas Balan, Topa etc. were covered but due to failure of most of the schemes people have been facing huge difficulty in getting water supply,” he added.
He further said that as per official information received from the department of 79 water supply schemes, 43 are functional and 36 are partially functional but shockingly over 50% of schemes are non functional on the ground. Moreover, the department didn’t disclose the record of payments made for execution of these schemes, which indicates that public money has been ill spent by the officials.
He alleged that the Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Poonch has been overstaying as it has been more than three and half years to him on this post, even the AEE Mendhar also overstaying. Besides schemes, the Department had shown expenditure of crores in repair and maintenance but fact of the matter is that no such expenditure has been incurred on the ground as the old pipelines have never been replaced.
The XEn Poonch have never toured the areas of the district to take note of the water supply schemes and even the condition of Lift Irrigation Schemes are also dismal in the district.
He urged the LG MK Sinha to transfer such officials who had been overstaying and have not been discharging their duty with sincerity
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