Kupwara, Jan 07 (KNS):Puncturing the tall claims of the Public Health Engineering Department regarding strengthening of the drinking water supply infrastructure in J&K, Residents said that Rs 28 crore scheme started ten years ago is a non-starter in Halmatpora here.
The mega- PHE scheme approved to these villages under ‘Dedi Check to Ras Check’ scheme ten years before is not functional after the landowner stopped the work on it.
“He is demanding the job in lieu of land as was promised by the authorities then,” a local resident Ghulam Muhammad Bhat said.
Showket Ali Khan, the land owner told KNS he donated 1 kanal of land for the construction of filtration plant in the area with a promise that my son will be engaged in PHE department
“But neither my son has been engaged nor i received any compensation of land,” Khan said.
Residents added that it is callousness on the part of concerned authorities who didn’t sort out the issue with the land owner in ten years.
“We are being forced to fetch the water from nearby streams and springs. There are high chances of people getting infected with different diseases,” they said.
Ali Mohammad a resident of Mir Mohalla said during the recently concluded ‘Back to village Programme’ they were assured that the water problem in the area will be resolved but nothing has been done yet.
A senior citizen of the area said they have visited the offices of Chief Secretary to lower offices butnothing is being done.
The locals also blamed the politicians for promising to end woes in the area during elections and ignoring it after winning elections.
Taking to KNS, Executive Engineer PHE Division Kupwara Din Mohammad said, “We have sent the file of the land owner to the administrative department. Meanwhile we will convince the land donor to allow us to resume the work. (KNS)