JAMMU DECEMBER 1 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Mr Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today expressed grave concern over acute shortage of drinking water across the Jammu Region and reacted sharply to the claims of 75 percent coverage of households in Jammu and Kashmir under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), saying the ground realities betray the administrative bragging. He took stock of the arrangements made by the Zone Committee Reasi-Udhampur Zone for the Zonal Convention at Tikri. He visited the venue of Convention. While speaking in the meeting, convened to finalize the arrangements of One Day Convention, being organized by Zonal President Abdul Gani Malik, Former Minister and his team, to be addressed by Jenab Omar Abdullah, Vice President Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on 3rd of December 2023.
Mr Sadhotra further said “Har Ghar Nal Hai Par Jal Nahin, there are taps but not water”, adding that scarcity of water has become a new norm and even districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Katra and other districts of the Jammu Region face shortage of drinking water.
Mr Sadhotra said that even as the common people are grappling with water scarcity, the administration is coming up with brownie points of Jammu and Kashmir having achieved the distinction of ranking third in the country in quality monitoring of the tap water. This is hilarious and ironic, as the taps run dry and the government is talking about the quality and its monitoring. He referred to the acute water shortage even in Jammu district. Moreover, areas of so called Jammu Smart City like Muthi, Barnai, Roop Nagar, Janipur, Chinore, Keran,
Thather, Paloura, Domana people are getting water after weeks time and that too for short duration, and rural areas of the Jammu North Assembly Constituency like Karwanda, Kanger, Bhalwal, Taawa, Domana, Mishriwala, Pandorian, Pakhian, Assarwan, Badani are facing shortage of drinking water, these are the peripheries of Jammu City, one wonders what must be the situation in the Rural areas.
Mr Sadhotra said the poor Public Health Engineering Infrastructure and delivery system gives credence to Rs. 13000 Cr scam alleged by a senior J&K IAS officer, which has been astonishingly put under the carpet. Such a huge scam in Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) under the nose of the Lt Governor appears to be root cause for perpetual woes of the people. Normally the tap water supply in Jammu city under Smart City Project should have been dependable, given the hype of the administration but the end results on ground speaks something different, he added.
Mr Sadhotra asked why no CBI enquiry has been ordered into the scam flagged by a very senior officer and who the government was protecting at the cost of public sufferings.
The Former Minister sought accountability of the Jal Shakti Department in abiding by their so- called schedule and ensuring the smooth supply of drinking water to the areas suffering for weeks together. If need be, the government should not shirk its responsibility and shy from deploying tanker services, as the people cannot be deprived of this minimum basic necessity. True that deployment of water tankers will explode the big bragging and expose tall claims of covering huge number of population under the so-called Jal Jeevan Mission but the people cannot be left high and dry, he maintained.
National Conference Leader said people are left with no other option than purchasing drinking water from the private water tankers in absence of water supply. Mr Sadhotra vehemently urged the LG Administration to urgently address the pressing issue of inadequate drinking water, as citizens deserve access to this basic necessity, and it is imperative that
concrete measures are taken to alleviate their sufferings. The government must implement effective policies to ensure a sustainable and equitable water supply for all, he said, adding that empty vessels of countless citizens speaks louder than the administrative rhetoric.
Mr Sadhotra lambasted the Double Engine Sarkar for boasting of economic achievements and infrastructural projects and said the truth flows from the taps that run dry. This is not a plea for political point-scoring, this is a call to provide drinking water to the population of Jammu and Kashmir which is the basic need.
Mr Abdul Gani Malik, Former Minister and Zonal President explained the meeting that all the arrangements have been made for the convention with consultation of all the District Presidents and Block Presidents of the Zone. District President Reasi Jagjeevan Lal, Former Minister, District President Udhampur Sunil Verma, District President Udhampur Urban Ram Parshotam Sharma, Senior Vice President District Gool Gulabgarh Jahangir Malik, Mr Tariq (Reasi), Anil Sharma (Katra), Zone Secretary Akash Verma, Mr Bhardawaj, also spoke in the
meeting.
National Conference Additional General Secretary expressed satisfaction over the
arrangements and appreciated dedication, zeal and determination of the leaders and workers of Udhampur-Reasi Zone and asked all the functionaries of the Zone to make Convention a success and the basic and burning issues of the people of Udhampur-Reasi Zone should be brought into the notice of Vice President, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Omar
Abdullah Saheb and further added that National Conference is committed to minimize the problems being faced by the common people during this Double Engine Sarkar.
Others who accompanied former Minister are Satwant Kour Dogar Women Wing Provincial President, Provincial Joint Secretaries S/Sh Surjit Singh Manhas, Ghar Singh, Ankush Abrol, OBC Provincial President Abdul Gani Teli, YNC Youth President Rakesh Sharma, Zonal
Secretary Dr Vikas Sharma and NC Leader Kuldeep Sharma.(KNS)