Wards represented by former Mayors, Dy Mayors among sufferers
Sanjeev K Sharma
JAMMU, June 19: After unscheduled power-cuts it is the non-functional street lights which daily push a large part of the Smart City Jammu into darkness, and the problem which emerges as the evening ascends to envelope everything in darkness, is going unaddressed for the last some six months which has disturbed the normal life in the City and its outskirts a lot.
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The negligent work culture of the concerned authorities has crossed the line to a limit that the Wards of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) represented by former Mayors and Deputy Mayors are also suffering from the problem with none of the so called tall and revolutionary leaders garnering courage to question the authorities and get the issue resolved.
Cases of elderly people falling due to dark in evening hours in the absence of working street lights have also been there from some localities while many people said that they fear chain and mobile snatching by miscreants who may take the benefit of darkness.
Manoj Kumar, 42, from Jawahar Nagar area of New Plot in Ward Number 16 said that for the last 6-7 months he daily comes across some 20-25 non-functional street lights near his house and in adjoining lanes.
Surprisingly, this Ward was represented by the senior BJP leader and former JMC Mayor, Rajinder Sharma who headed the local body for about a year.
“Some street lights in our Shiv Nagar locality in Ward number 33 have stopped glowing as sub-standard items were used and there was none to maintain these lights,” Rajesh Sharma, 60, who works with an NGO informed.
The Ward number 33 was represented by another senior BJP leader and former JMC Mayor, Chander Mohan Gupta who helmed the affairs of JMC for about four years.
Similar were the reactions from the residents of Wards represented by two other senior BJP leaders—Purnima Sharma, who represented Ward number 1 and Baldev Singh Billawaria, who represented Ward number 56 and both these leaders remained former Deputy Mayors.
In Om Nagar area of Talab Tillo, Vikas Diwan, 55, a businessman informed that 40 per cent of street lights in his locality were non-functional for last some months and despite registering complaint with the concerned agency EESL (to which the JMC has outsourced the work of installation and maintenance of these lights) nothing has been done so far.
“On helpline number the EESL personnel claimed that the issue would be resolved within 48 hours but it has been over one and a half months from now and nothing has been done,” he maintained.
In Rehari Colony area, Jagdish Gupta, 66, a retired banker informed that for the last about six months a street light near his home was not functioning and he complained for the same with the concerned agency but so far no fruitful result has emerged.
Senior BJP leader and former JMC Councillor of Ward number-10, Anil Masoom informed that there are about 100 street lights in different localities of Pacca Danga area and other adjoining places in the Ward which are not glowing for the last some months.
Similar concern was expressed by Inder Singh Soodan, another former Councillor from Ward number 44 (Nanak Nagar), who said that over 300 street lights in his Ward (out of a total of 850) are not working for the last six months.
The same issue was also voiced by many other locals from most of the 75 Wards of JMC who have apprehension that the wrong elements may take benefit of the darkness in the evening to accomplish their nefarious designs in their localities.
When contacted, JMC Commissioner, Rahul Yadav said that they had contract with EESL for street lights but presently there is some contractual dispute going on due to which the team of EESL has stopped working.
“We have also stopped their payment and that is why these issues are there but we are trying to resolve the issues,” he maintained adding: “Soon these issues will be resolved after which the lights will be repaired and made functional.”
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