Pulwama 11 June (KNS): Vice Chairperson District Development Council Pulwama Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh has said that Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-Gramin) programme has failed to clean up rural areas in J&K particularly in Pulwama district as large amounts of solid and liquid waste isn’t being treated by authorities at helm and money available under the scheme isn't being utilized. He appealed to Chief Secretary A K Mehta to intervene.

As per the statement issued to Kashmir News Service, Hide quoted text Vice Chairman DDC Pulwama Mukhtar Bandh said that in rural areas where the Government was supposed to undertake waste management under Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) programme. "We see not even a single project in operation in J&K. In a recent article that appeared in a local English daily a detailed report had been published on this issue. Not even a single project on waste management has been executed in the entire J&K. The situation was much worst in Pulwama and other districts he said" Mukhtar Bandh said 

Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh said that solid and liquid waste is being dumped in canals and rivers by people as Govt hasn’t been able to provide any facility to people. 

He said that Rural Sanitation department has failed to execute waste management projects in spite of facts that funds around Rs 20 lakhs is available for each gram panchayat with Govt of India but the DPRs are not prepared nor have the technical people been hired as per SBM G Guidelines .  

 He appealed to the Chief Secretary to call a high level meeting in this regard with Principal Secretary Rural Development Department , Director Rural Sanitation and DC Pulwama . 

"Let the Govt officers be asked to explain why they have not utilized even a single penny for waste management work in J&K during last 6 years ?" he added. (KNS)