Rajesh Gupta
JAMMU, Sept 21: The House Committee report on Jal Jeevan Mission pointed out irregularities in implementation of the scheme and has recommended constitution of a High-Level Committee to identify the Corrupt Officers.
The Committee was headed by Hasnain Masoodi and MLAs MY Tarigami , Ali Mohammad Dar, Aijaz Jan, Tanvir Sadiq, Altaf Kalloo, Javaid Reyaz and Arjun Singh Raju , Rajiv Jasrotia and RS Pathania , Rafiq Ahmad Naik , Iftikhar Ahmed and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan were members.
Irregularities were noticed and come across, by the House Committee as recorded in the findings, needs constitution of the HLC to audit all Water Supply Schemes schemes under JJM/retrofitting as regards procurement of DI/GIHDPE pipes and civil works executed and identity the officers/engineers responsible for such irregularities.
The House Committee pointed out that the decision to shift to HDPE pipes from GI pipes was a major decision of huge financial and operational consequences.
"The decision to make a shift from GI pipes to HDPE pipes paved way for purchase of HDPE pipes for approximately Rs 600 crore and their introduction didn’t only result in huge loss to public exchequer but contributed to the delay in execution of water supply schemes and delay in making the schemes operational. This also deprived large segment of targeted population from the facility of safe and adequate drinking water,’’ the Committee said.
The House Committee further stated that out of 3253 Water Supply Schemes, involving expenditure of around Rs 7,000 crore, 63 percent were found non operational, while even among the remaining 37 percent claimed by the Jal Shakti Department to be functional, several schemes were not fully operational.
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