Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 20: Members from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and main opposition National Conference (NC) today created ruckus in the Legislative Assembly over non-availability of safe drinking water in their respective constituencies.
After Minister of State for PHE and Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) Farooq Ahmad Andrabi replied to a question by Mohammad Ashraf Mir pertaining to money spend on water supply schemes in his Sonawar constituency, the Member alleged that the information given was incorrect.
Demanding action on the PHE officers who were trying to mislead the House, Mir asserted that there was no water supply scheme in his Sonawar constituency. “People in my constituency are facing immense problems because of water scarcity. They have been continuously complaining about it, but the Government is not addressing the issue,” he said.
“The information provided in the reply to my question is incorrect. The officers have said that Rs 10 lakh have been spent for pipes, but only less than Rs 1 lakh has been spent so far,” he said. However, in the reply, Rs 204.07 lakh was shown as expenditure in the constituency for procurement while Rs 12.14 lakh was shown as money utilized for maintenance during the last three years.
Mr Mir, who defeated former Chief Minsiter Omar Abdullah, further said that his constituency which falls in Srinagar district, has been clubbed with Ganderbal.” Three water supply schemes have been sanctioned for Ganderbal district, but not a single one for Sonawar Assembly segment,” he said.
However, Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj and Law & Justice Abdul Haq Khan, intervened and said that the issue will be looked into and action will be taken against erring officers. Haq also agreed with Mir that his constituency should be kept with Srinagar district. “We will look into this matter, as I agree that Sonawar constituency should be with Srinagar and not with Ganderbal,” he said.
However, the NC didn’t miss this opportunity to take a jibe at the Government, saying that the question was asked to Andrabi and Haq should have let him handle the issue.
Meanwhile, the issue over water crises continued with PDP Member Abdul Majid Padder, who was holding PHE and I&FC portfolio in previous Mufti-led Government, also accused the officers of the department concerned of misleading the House with the reply. He said in Noorabad constituency, none of the 12 water supply schemes were functioning.
Replying to Paddar, Andrabi said pipes will be allotted for restoring the water supply schemes in the area. Similarly, PDP member Noor Mohammad Sheikh expressed concern over non-availability of water in some parts of his Batamaloo constituency. “Those people have been protesting from last over a week, but still water has not been made available to them,” he said.
Another PDP member Yawar Ahmad Mir alleged that raw water was being supplied to the people living in his constituency. “People are being forced to consume raw water. Till the time Government has funds to make filter plants, at least use some techniques to filter the water, so that people get safe drinking water,” he said.
Opposition members, including NC Members Ishfaq Jabbar from Ganderbal, Javaid Rana from Mendhar and Congress MLA from Banihal Vikar Rasool, expressed similar concerns.
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