Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 15: Big claims of developments in Jammu city on ground has a different picture with many lanes and drains in Ward Number 26 still in dilapidated condition and the agency engaged in sewerage work has failed to repair the streets which it dug for laying its pipes but still there are big talks of smart city type facilities. Surprisingly, the Ward is very much in the urban area which elected the same representative for the second consecutive term in Urban Local Body elections.
“Many lanes and drains in my Ward are yet to be repaired due to poor funding while the contractor has left the blacktopping work midway as the concerned authorities failed to make payments,” informed Hardeep Singh Mankotia, elected Councillor from Ward Number 26 during an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior.
Mankotia, who belongs to BJP and is a second time Councillor said his Ward includes areas of Subhash Nagar, Upper Shiv Nagar, Vikas Nagar and Lower Lakshmi Nagar.
“Due to poor funding, construction and repair work on some lanes and drains has not been done in my Ward like in one lane of Sector-A Subhash Nagar, three streets of Upper Shiv Nagar, 4-5 more lanes of Subhash Nagar and 2-3 lanes of Vikas Nagar,” he said adding that due to poor funding, tendering has now been done only for a few of these pending works.
The Councillor claimed that almost 90 per cent of the Ward has been provided with street lights of which only 4-5 per cent are non-functional.
He said that lane-drain works have been completed in lane number 13 and 14 of Subhash Nagar and in all the lanes from Jalebi Morh to a popular provision store in the Ward.
It is pertinent to mention here that the elected Urban Local Body of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) responsible for developments in JMC Wards has completed over four years of its mandatory tenure of five, but developments still are miles away from completion and in some cases have not even yet started.
Mankotia said that there is no park, no playground and no parking facility for vehicles in the Ward while a public toilet is very much there to facilitate the public.
“Sewerage network is 95 per cent complete in my Ward and only 2-3 lanes are left in this regard and that too due to their topography,” he further said adding that only 23 Safai Karamcharis are there in the Ward while there is a need of 35 for better cleanliness.
The Councillor said that fogging is also being done in the Ward to safeguard the public from the ongoing dengue fever.
“There is no public resentment against the installation of smart meters in my Ward,” he maintained adding that autos moving from door-to-door to collect garbage are doing a good job and the Ward is now free from dustbins and garbage dumps.
Mankotia also said that though there are problems due to stray dogs yet the dog lifting squad of JMC lifts these animals when complaint is made to them.
“There are three Nallahs in my Ward but they remain normal in rainy days and no damage is caused while tendering has been done for the repair of these deep drains but so far funds have not been released for this project,” he said.
The JMC Councillor further said that there is no community hall in the Ward.
“Almost all the eligible persons in my Ward have received the doses of COVID-19 vaccination and we remained on our toes during the lockdown triggered by COVID-19 pandemic and helped many needy people by providing them ration etc,” he further said.
Mankotia informed that all the eligible voters in his Ward have got their Voter Cards, many people were given Domicile Certificates and almost all have made their Ayushman Cards.
“Still I help the leftover people in getting Aadhar, Voter or Ayushman Cards or Domicile Certificate whenever they approach me,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, some people from Ward number 26 expressed resentment and claimed that lanes in their areas have not been repaired for years together.
“Out street was broken by the sewerage people some 5 years back but has not been properly repaired till date and now it has become dilapidated,” Arjun Kumar (name changed) from Vikas Nagar lane-2 said adding that problems for all the people living in the lane have now increased due to the bad condition of the lane.
Similar problems were narrated by Raju (name changed) of Subash Nagar Sector-A who claimed that lane leading to his house near a popular provision store in the Ward has been in bad shape for some 15 years as it was subjected to digging by different agencies and last time it was broken by the sewerage agency which failed to repair it properly leaving problems for the locals.
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