Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 16: Constru-ction work of an important Nallah (big deep drain) and work on an important road were not even started in Ward number 12 of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), while the work on parking place is also nowhere in sight for the lack of funds and ongoing red tape culture in offices of the Urban Local Body.
This was informed by Jeet Kumar Angral, elected JMC Councillor from Ward number 12 during an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior.
Angral, who politically belongs to BJP and is a first time JMC Councillor, informed that his Ward includes the areas of Krishna Nagar, Upper Krishna Nagar, Dogra Mohalla, erstwhile Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) area, Canal area, G.G.M Sc. College and Commerce College areas, Guru Ravi Dass Mandir Mohalla, Jewel to Super Specialty Hospital areas, Pahari Mohalla and Shiv Durga Mandir area in Upper Krishna Nagar.
He said that construction work of a new Nallah from RRL to Guru Ravi Dass Ji Mandir could not be started in his Ward because of poor funding while the construction of a road from Government Girls Higher Secondary School (GGHSS), Canal to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park was also not started as the Education Department is yet to issue the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) in this regard.
Angral further said that parking facility for the vehicles could not be made in the Ward due to scarcity of funds and official red tape despite the passing of a resolution in this regard in the General House Meeting of JMC while there was land also available for that in the Ward.
He informed that a sanctioned Tube Well also failed to see light of the day as the concerned Irrigation and Flood Control Department is yet to issue an NOC in this regard.
The JMC Councillor said that drainage system under smart city project from Jewel Chowk to Canal Head may start within days.
Among the works done during his tenure, he counted construction of Dr. B.R Ambedkar Community Hall in Krishna Nagar, renovation of another Community Hall at Shiv Durga Mandir, Community Hall at Hari Ghat, construction of a Ghat at Ranbir Canal on the name of Shiv Charan Sharma and Tara Chand Gupta-prominent residents of the Ward.
Angral informed that the lane and drain work in his Ward is yet to be completed fully though about 90 per cent of this work has been done as of now.
“Of the total requirement, 80 per cent street lights have been installed in my Ward, of which, 20 per cent are non-functional because the concerned agency mandated to repair the faulty street lights is not working properly in this direction.
The Councillor also said that all parks in the Ward like Rajinder Nagar Park and Bhagat Singh Park are properly developed with open air gyms and seating arrangements.
He informed that sewerage network has not been laid in his Ward while cleanliness is good though the Ward faces a shortage of Safai Karamcharis as only 34 of these personnel are provided in the Ward while there is a need of 50.
“The door-to-door moving autos to collect garbage are doing a good job due to which garbage dumps have become a thing of the past,” he maintained adding that fogging has also been done in the Ward to safeguard the locals form dengue fever.
“There is no water-power crisis in the Ward but there is a dire need to replace old and worn-out water supply pipes but the same could not be done due to shortage of funds even though a resolution in this regard was passed in general house meeting of JMC,” he said.
Angral informed that hanging wires and old poles in the Ward are also problems the solution for which has not been reached as of now because the Power Development Department claims that they have no sufficient funds for this work.
“Apart from this a power transformer in the Ward is placed in such a way that it poses threat to children and stray animals who may easily get electric shock on touching it but for lack of funds, the concerned department has failed to do fencing around the transformer or to go for some other corrective step in this regard,” he claimed adding that the newly installed smart meters have invited public angers as these meters are fetching hefty power bills.
The JMC Councillor also said that theft of iron gratings from the drains have been reported from the Ward and the addicts and peddlers are very much active in the area for which the police should take a cognizance.
“Though we helped many aged, widows and physically challenged persons to get pension but the latest rule for such pensions exclusively to the aged, widows and physically challenged persons from Below Poverty Line families is creating problems now,” Jeet Angral said.
He claimed that efforts by him resulted in getting a road constructed from Meat Market to Guru Ravi Dass Mandir and another road from back side of IT Department residential quarters to upper Krishna Nagar while development works at an expenditure of Rs. 1.15 crore are underway at GGHSS Canal.
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