Balurghat, Sept. 23 -- Public Health Engineering Minister of State Bhaskar Bhattacharya warned that no "vested interest" would be tolerated in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in South Dinajpur. He said that if substandard pipes were used instead of approved quality materials, not only the contractor but also the departmental official who approved the materials would be held responsible.
Bhattacharya chaired a review meeting on the progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission at the district administrative building in Balurghat in the presence of senior district officials and MLAs on Tuesday. The meeting reviewed the progress of work, areas where projects were stalled and measures required to complete the remaining work within a stipulated time.
Around 3.5 lakh households in the district are supposed to receive drinking water connections under the scheme. So far, connections have been provided to around 1.78 lakh households, leaving nearly 1.72 lakh still to be covered.
Officials were directed to set specific deadlines and accelerate the work.
The minister also stressed that there would be "zero tolerance" regarding quality. "No vested interest will be allowed here. There will be no compromise on quality. The pipe that is approved must be installed. If someone installs a cheaper pipe and leaves, both the person installing it and any departmental official approving it will be held responsible and questioned," Bhattacharya said.
He directed officials to complete projects where only 20 per cent work had been completed before taking up other pending works. Older repair works, however, would continue simultaneously.
Bhattacharya also expressed concern over wastage of water. He said the government spends substantial amounts to create infrastructure for supplying drinking water to households and urged people to prevent wastage of both water and public money. The minister further warned officials against allowing newly sanctioned funds to lapse, stating that earlier expenditure had not always produced the expected benefits.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.