Diplomat Correspondent
UDHAMPUR: The House Committee constituted to probe into the alleged irregularities in implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission today conducted an extensive on-the-spot inspection of various JJM schemes in Udhampur district.
The inspection was carried out under the chairmanship of Chairman Justice Hasnain Masoodi along with other members of the Committee.
The House Committee was accompanied by the local MLAs Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department, Shaleen Kabra, Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Saloni Rai and other concerned officers.
During the visit, the Chairman and members inspected the water supply schemes at Tikri Dhanu and Seen Brahmana.
The Committee interacted with the former PRI members and local residents to ascertain the ground-level status of JJM implementation besides gathering firsthand feedback regarding functioning of the schemes.
During the inspection, the House Committee members enquired in detail about various aspects of the scheme, including the laying of pipelines, installation and functionality of filtration plants, provision of household tap connections, quality of trenching and pipe network execution, infrastructure status, water quality, supply timelines, maintenance mechanisms and pending works under JJM.
The Committee also held an interaction at Dak Bungalow, Udhampur, where the former PRI members and local residents raised several issues related to JJM implementation in their respective areas. These included non-functional reservoirs, households left out of JJM coverage, leakage in pipelines, improper laying of pipes on the surface, incomplete works and delays in installation of infrastructure.
While briefing the media, the Chairman stated that the Committee, constituted in the backdrop of the alleged irregularities in implementation of JJM in J&K, conducted an on-spot-inspection of JJM schemes in Udhampur district.
He said the Committee carried out on-the-spot verification to ascertain the factual position, identify bottlenecks and fix responsibility for lapses, wherever found.
The officers of the Jal Shakti Department briefed the Committee about the progress of works and highlighted technical challenges, land-related issues and funding constraints.
They also informed the Committee about the steps being taken to expedite the pending works and improve service delivery.
As part of the tour, the House Committee members also visited Bedian and Johnu, where they reviewed the status of ongoing and incomplete JJM works aimed at providing potable drinking water to rural households.
The Committee also interacted with the local residents and the officials to assess the ground situation.DD