Non-existing Rs 6.23 cr water supply scheme
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 26: The inquiry into Rs 6.23 crore non-existing water supply scheme in the Budgam district has concluded with the Inquiry Officer indicting several engineers of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and recommending stern action against them for depriving the people of the benefit of the scheme and obtaining undue pecuniary benefits.
During the inquiry, it has also come to the fore that majority of the engineers of the department have been laying more focus on purchase of pipes than completion of work on the water supply schemes. It has strongly been recommended that this practice should be stopped forthwith in order to save the exchequer of the department from unfruitful expenditure.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Sham Vinod Meena, the then Additional Secretary, PHE Department has submitted interim report to the Commissioner Secretary, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department into the non-existing Rs 6.23 crore water supply scheme with several recommendations and observations.
While indicting several engineers, who were involved in the execution of this scheme, the interim report said, “the financial closure of the scheme was totally unjustified especially when major work was yet to be completed”, adding “it seems that these engineers in order to obtain undue pecuniary benefits misled several authorities, which include the high-ups of the PHE Department and District Development Board”.
Pointing towards the statements of these engineers that some funds for this scheme were yet to be released by NABARD, the report said, “if this is established then these engineers should be directed to complete the scheme by utilizing the left-over funds within a period of six months otherwise the department should take action as warranted under rules. These engineers have not only deprived the people of the benefit of the scheme but also pocketed funds meant for the execution of works”.
Holding lack of supervision responsible for the non-existence of the scheme, the interim report said, “even during the course of initial inquiry there was no seriousness on the part of Chief Engineer as he assigned the task of inquiry to Superintending Engineer, who was also responsible for the hanging fate of the scheme in one way or the other”, adding “Chief Engineer should be warned to be very cautious in future”.
The Inquiry Officer has recommended creation of post of Technical Officer to Commissioner Secretary, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control with the specific task of ensuring that works on the major schemes is undertaken strictly as per the Detailed Project Report and the time-line fixed for the same, sources informed.
“Not only in this particular case, it has generally been noticed that majority of the engineers of the department have been laying more focus on purchase of pipes than completion of work on the water supply schemes”, the interim report said, adding “it would be in the interest of the department if this practice is stopped forthwith and engineers are directed to ensure completion of work on source of water supply scheme as well as reservoir before going in for purchase of pipes”.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, PHE, Dr Pawan Kotwal confirmed that Inquiry Officer has submitted the interim report. “There are several observations and recommendations and action against the erring engineers would be taken very shorly”, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that this scheme for Chanapora-Zabgulla area of Budgam district was actually mooted at a cost of Rs 1.46 crore in 1980s to provide drinking water to the vast population. However, the fate of scheme continued to hang in balance for years together and finally in 1997-98 the cost of the Water Supply Scheme was revised at Rs 6.23 crore.
Even after revising the cost of the scheme, those at the helm of affairs in the PHE Department never tried to ascertain the progress on the ground and the officers associated with the execution of the scheme made good use of seniors’ deep slumber and embezzled the money at their whims and fancy by submitting false reports.
This scheme became topic of discussion during the District Development Board meeting of Budgam for three consecutive years but every time the PHE Department conveyed that scheme has been completed.
However, after much hue and cry by the elected representatives multi-disciplinary committee last year conducted spot verification and noticed that only some supply lines were laid while as neither intake nor the filtration plant of the scheme was constructed on ground. Later, departmental inquiry was ordered and the same has concluded with the submission of interim report.
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