Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Jan 2: An irrigation channel at Chanalkot in tehsil Chassana of district Reasi, constructed for facilitating the locals to irrigate their farms, is lying completely defunct and badly damaged for the last four years thus rendering the huge public money to wasteful expenditure.
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This channel was constructed by the Department of Irrigation in 2010-11 by spending Rs 1.5 crore to benefit the local small farmers. However, in the flash floods of 2014, this channel was badly damaged and not repaired since then.
According to the locals, who have no means of earning except doing labour work and farming, they were unable to cultivate their fields because of no irrigation facility for the last four years. “Despite our repeated pleas and even assurance by the Deputy Commission during a public darbar for repair of the irrigation channel, nothing was done,” they lamented.
Claiming that funds were released for repair of the channel but not utilized for the same, the locals demanded a probe into alleged bungling of the funds worth lakhs of rupees.
When contacted, concerned Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department told the Excelsior that due to frequent damages and inadequate repair work, the channel was lying defunct. Even as attempt was made for its restoration last year by laying pipes to bridge the gaps , a few locals did not allow the Department to conduct repair work on different pretexts,” said Xen Vineet and added that repair of the said irrigation channel was now being proposed to the Government under languishing projects.
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