Represented by former Dy Mayor, Ward 1 too faced funds paucity, official red tape
MUNICIPAL WARD UPDATE
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 7: Believe it or not, 70 year old water supply pipes could not be replaced from most parts of Ward number 1 of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and that too when the elected representative of the Local Urban Body from the Ward remained Deputy Mayor of JMC for more than four years.
When contacted Purnima Sharma, former Deputy Mayor and Councillor of Ward number 1 said that tenders were floated for the work of pipe replacement but none of the contractors came forward.
She claimed that new pipes were laid at certain places in the Ward where households were getting dirty water.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Purnima Sharma, who politically belongs to BJP and is a first time Councillor said that sewerage problem is there in her Ward as pipes of the sewerage often gets blocked at certain places and litter comes out on the roads and streets leaving problems for the passersby and the locals.
She further said that the agency executing sewerage work even not cared for underground pipes of water supply.
Purnima Sharma said that areas falling in her Ward include Panjtirthi, area from Governor House to Ground Water Division of PHE near Tawi River, from Radio Station Jammu to CPO to Tange Wali Gali to Chowk Chabutra, Mubarak Mandi and Chogan Slathia.
She informed that hanging wires and damaged poles are very much there at many places in her Ward and the same could not be corrected despite many complaints to the department concerned.
It is pertinent to mention here that over four years of mandatory tenure of five for JMC elected body is now over yet many developmental works await completion and some of such works have not even seen the light of the day.
Purnima Sharma said that Geographic Information (GI) mapping has not been done for her Ward to know status of ground water, underground pipes etc.
“There are two Nallahs in my Ward which required urgent repair but the same can’t be done due to red tape culture in the offices of the concerned department,” she claimed.
Sharma also informed that Smart Meters have been installed in her Ward and there was no protest against this development.
“About 70 per cent work of construction and repair of lanes and drains has been has completed in my Ward and it could not be done 100 per cent due to paucity of funds,” she maintained adding: “Of the total requirement, 75 per cent Street Lights have been installed in the Ward and the non-functional ones are being repaired but with some delay.”
She also said that the Ward required very little of blacktopping work which has been done.
“The auto moving from door-to-door collecting garbage is doing a good work and in narrow streets where such autos cannot reach, wooden wheel barrows have been pressed into service,” former Deputy Mayor said.
She claimed that garbage auto service has reduced the number of garbage dumps in the Ward to a large extent but still some scattered dumps are there in the area.
Purnima Sharma said, though there are no stray animals in the Ward yet the locals of the Ward informed that the area is very much affected by monkey menace as the simians take away clothes, eatables, enter residential houses and do many such nuisances.
“There is no playground and no Community Hall in the Ward but there are two public parks—at Chogan Slathia and Kucha Nar Singh Mohalla and both these are small but properly maintained and developed parks,” she said.
“Though my Ward needs 15 more Safai Karamcharis for proper cleanliness yet it is a clean as we use the services of the present workforce properly,” the former Deputy Mayor informed.
She also said that there are two public toilets in the Ward to facilitate the public and there is a multistory parking facility at Panjtirthi and a new one like that is also under plan at government quarters.
“There is no theft of iron gratings from the drains but there are many drug addicts and peddlers active in the Ward and the police should take a cognizance of this,” Purnima Sharma said.
She said that there is a Heath Centre in the Ward which is not in proper condition and a long pending public demand is there to upgrade it to a two bedded level hospital type health centre.
“About 300 persons including widows, physically challenged and old age persons are getting pension in my Ward but the newly introduced rule for these pensions exclusively to Below Poverty Line people is creating problems for other deserving persons,” Purnima Sharma said.
On her experience as Deputy Mayor, Purnima that she learned how to deal with bureaucracy and get works done.
“Overall it was a great experience which will help me in my future journey in politics and to help the people,” she said.
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