Poor drainage, lack of transport facilities hit normal life in Akalpur
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 14: Newly formed Ward number 75 of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) lacks very many facilities with prominent among them remaining those of transport.
“Only 2 minibuses are there in service in the Ward,” informed Ghar Singh Chib, Councillor of the Ward who also claimed that 10 per cent of the population in the Ward defecates in open thereby falsifying the tall claims of concerned authorities.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Ghar Singh, who is the first time Councillor of this newly formed Ward and was an Independent candidate, informed that five Nallahs flow through his Ward and cause flood in rainy season which inflict heavy damage to the crops and also erode the agricultural land in the area thereby putting the farmers to heavy losses every year.
“These Nallahs required immediate retention walls on both sides and concrete work but nothing has been done in this direction so far,” he said.
Chib said that his Ward includes five villages—Akalpur, Patnyal, Durgo Chak, Sangrampur and Band Patnyal.
“Drainage system could not be made in my Ward and a bridge over a Nallah flowing between Akalpur and Patnyal also could not be made,” he maintained adding: “A pond which needed some development, for which Detailed Project Report was also made, saw no progress.”
It is pertinent to mention here that over four years have been passed when the elected Urban Local Body of JMC had assumed its office but still many development works are yet to be completed and many such works have not even seen the light of the day.
The JMC Councillor also said that construction and repair work of lanes in the Ward is only 30 per cent complete in two years of the tenure of four and claimed that nothing could be done in the last two years due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“The construction and repair work of drains in my Ward is only 35 per cent complete,” he further said.
Chib said that blacktopping work was 70 per cent done in the Ward and mentioned shortage of funds as the reason for poor development in the Ward because being a new Ward it needed more funds.
He said that there are 24 Safai Karamcharis in his Ward but there is a need of 15 more as the Ward is vast spread over 15 sq. kms but still they manage with the available manpower to keep the Ward clean.
“There is no public park, no parking place for vehicles, no stray animal, no community hall and no public toilet in my Ward,” Ghar Singh claimed adding that Ward office is there but without any facility and there are two playgrounds which are not properly developed and the Ward also has five wells which are in bad shape.
The Councillor said that 650 Street Lights were given to his Ward but it needed 1100 and 60 per cent of the installed Street Lights are non-functional for which the required repair was never done in time.
“The water supply system of Jal Shakti Department is non-functional in the Ward and there is only ground water in the area which the people use,” he maintained adding that Smart Meters will not be allowed in the Ward till entire system gets is properly established there.
“Autos moving from door-to-door collecting garbage from households are doing a good work in garbage disposal but there is a need of two more such autos as garbage dumps still lie in the Ward though very less in number than what used to be earlier,” the JMC Councillor said.
He informed that almost all the residents of his Ward have made their Ayushman Cards and all the eligible Voters have got their Voter Cards and same is the status of Domicile Certificates.
“Many of the widows, old age persons and physically challenged persons in my Ward get pension but the newly introduced rule for these pensions exclusively to Below Poverty Line people is creating problems for others,” Ghar Singh said.
He claimed that there are five crematoriums, two graveyards and two Shishu Smadhis in the Ward and none of these is properly developed.
“Hanging wires and damaged poles are there at many places in the Ward and there is only one water cooler in the Ward and it is in working condition but so far house numbering has not been done in the Ward,” Chib said.
He also informed that there are many drug addicts and peddlers active in the Ward for which the police should take cognizance.
“There is a Health Centre in my Ward which has been upgraded but no facility has been provided to it so far to the upgraded level,” the JMC Councillor claimed.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
