Probe into corruption in Jal Jeevan Mission water supply scheme demanded

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Unemployed Association has alleged corruption with regard to implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission schemes in the district. In this connection the organization, which represents the unemployed youths of the State, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday demanding probe into the corrupted schemes.

Notably, a total of 172 water supply schemes under JJM have been completed in Lakhimpur district. In the memorandum, while addressing the Chief Minister, Lakhimpur district unit AAUA president Binod Das and secretary Bhupen Sonowal said, “Our organization has noticed indulgence of massive corruption with regard to implementation of JJM schemes in Lakhimpur district. Though a total of 172 water supply schemes under JJM have been completed in the district, the beneficiaries have not been potent enough to get pure drinking water from most of them.”

In support of the allegation, the organization cited the Karigaon Water Supply Scheme under JJM, located at Madhya Nowboicha Gaon Panchayat under Nowboicha Development Block.

“Targeting a total of 131 beneficiary families, a fund amounting to Rs. 1,05,81,000 was allotted to the Karigaon JJM water supply scheme, set up at Madhya Nowboicha GP under Nowboicha Development Block. The scheme was inaugurated on June 7, but the beneficiaries have still been unable to get drinking water from the scheme concerned,” Binod Das and Bhupen Sonowal said in the memorandum. In this context, they alleged that the engaged contractor of the scheme showed the half-done works fully implemented to inaugurate the same. The president and secretary of the organization further alleged that the beneficiaries’ list of the scheme was also prepared by including the name of dead people. “The inclusion of the name of dead people as beneficiary of the said JJM water supply scheme is unfortunate,” Binod Das and Bhupen Sonowal added.

The memorandum further said that though Lakhimpur district unit of AAUA filed a complaint against the massive corruption in the implementation of the scheme to Mukul Sonowal, the then Executive Engineer of PHED, North Lakhimpur Division, the officer had initiated no steps in this regard, but prompted to inaugurate the scheme. The organization demanded the Chief Minister to bring Mukul Sonowal under the ambit of the probe.

Through the same memorandum, Lakhimpur district unit of the AAUA demanded the Chief Minister to launch probe into all the completed 172 JJM schemes of Lakhimpur district including the Karigaon JJM water supply scheme. The organization also demanded to bring the Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer, Gaon Panchayat president, including others involved in the implementation of the Karigaon JJM water supply scheme under the ambit of enquiry.

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