HATSINGIMARI: The local citizens of a locality of the South Salmara Mankachar district of the state have approached the authorities, alleging corruption in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission Projects in the region.
The people have alleged that large-scale corruption has taken place during the implementation of the Malkhowa PWSS under the Jal Jevan Mission by the Public Health and Engineering department in the South Salmara Mankachar District. They have mentioned that even though the project has been handed over to the concerned operators after the so-called completion of the project, the public has yet to receive the clean drinking water promised by the government. And the villagers were forced to hand over a complaint in writing to the District Commissioner as well as the highest authorities of the department concerned.
The mentioned project was sanctioned in the 2022-23 financial year with an expenditure of Rs 142.73 lakhs. However, the local public alleged that the contractors ignored the necessary guidelines and constructed the project using materials below the necessary standards.
They also mentioned that the contractors had kept the main supply pipe at the depth of just one foot while the guidelines mentioned that the same should be laid at a depth of 1 metre. They also said that instead of giving the taps for the water connection at the homes of the beneficiaries, the contractor had placed them next to the road itself adding that the necessary chambers in the project were not covered properly.
They mentioned that the officials of the Public Health Engineering Department and the DC officially handed over the project to the user committee through a virtual meeting on 1 December 2023. However, the citizens questioned how this project could be handed over to the user committee without proper implementation of the project and the pipelines failed to supply water to the households of the locality.
As a result, the local people wrote to the authorities, asking them to conduct checks and take necessary action against the contractor who had implemented the project.
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