Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led by the Chairman of State Legislature visited village Mehtabpur in Kathua district and took stock of the water supply schemes of Rs 1.32 crores framed to supply nearly 7000 souls of half dozen of villages. The Committee was shocked to know that scheme was sanctioned 17 years ago but the seven thousand souls were still thirsty for water. Nothing can be more appalling than this and it is a blot on the entire PHE which has swindled the money or siphoned it off and left the people dry.
The Committee has come to know that the project was shifted to another village without official sanction and the budget was further increased. How come that the shifting of the project from one village to another took place without the permission of district authorities, Although the functionaries of PHE were also present and matters were thrashed out yet the committee was not satisfied with the answers given by the responsible persons or functionaries. Why was not the project undertaken for 17 years and where is the money gone, the Committee wanted to know. The concerned MLA said that this was all a fishy matter and nobody cared for the people. The Committee has asked PHE to submit a status report by 31 August and warned that in the meanwhile it will consider what steps should be taken to call the defaulters to book. PAC has visited the spot in person and this gives the law maker an idea of how the departments are hoodwinking the authorities. We would suggest the PACs to visit many more projects and make an on spot assessment of the projects underway. We have always stressed on accountability because lack of accountability has resulted in failure of projects or their long delay as in the present case.
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