reconstruct entire ERA

Wantonly, carelessly, haphazardly and erratically digging roads and lanes in Jammu especially in West Assembly Constituency by Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) and other “works” undertaken by it are continuously testing the patience of the people who are suffering due to their whimsical, unplanned and haphazard manner of working connected with lying of “much hyped” sewer lines. The quality of their works is far below the accepted standards, this genuine fear among the “victimized” people on that was going to be vindicated in the very near future in case there was not an overall change in its way of working to the extent of overhauling or revamping its structure. Citizens who were promised all comforts and a clean civic environ by the ERA and thus started going on a vigorous digging spree of roads, lanes etc willfully and by choice ever since 2012, have found that the agency promised the moon only.
The Agency has mercilessly wasted public money and people feel increasingly indignant and wonder why pin pointed responsibility is not fixed. Lack of answerability in the entire structure of the ERA was appearing to be condoned which was going to erode the trust in the fair play by the administration as also was tantamount to corrode public respect for political leadership who had been shielding the sheer recklessness rampant in this Agency. The promised deadline of completing the entire work within three years say by 2015 is nowhere in sight even at the fast conclusion of the year 2018. Like this, the ERA appears to derive sadistic pleasure in continuing to trouble, harass and cause innumerable inconvenience to Jammuites due to their faulty planning and manner of working. How long shall the Agency play hide and seek with the laying of sewer lines and associated works with it, must now be made clear.
We have been receiving innumerable instances at our news desk from the suffering people at the hands of the ERA, especially during these rainy season as to how roads and lanes dug up by them have been proving virtual death traps for the people. Besides, their using such roads and lanes having become increasingly hazardous and trying experiences, their vehicles get stuck up and even damaged because of strewn boulders, dug out ‘malbas’ and accumulated rain waters. Sinking of some lanes and roads recently black-topped by the Agency, presented not only an irksome spectacle but execrable situation putting people to extreme hardships. Suffering people lament over the very decision of starting the project of laying of sewer lines and the associated works to be followed.
Extensive damage to private and public property has been caused by rainfalls in all those areas where such sewer lines had been laid recently by the ERA, thus squandering crores of rupees. Roads constructed by Economic Reconstruction Agency have completely been washed away by heavy downpours in majority of those areas where the Agency’s contractors “constructed” them following laying of sewer lines. It appears that such roads have been constructed for fair and pleasant weathers only.
The other malady and affliction affecting the entire system is complete absence of understanding and cooperation between different departments like the UEED, PDD, ERA, PWD, Telecom, etc who independent of one another, mercilessly dig out freshly black topped roads for their “developmental projects” causing damage to such roads which gets worsened during and immediately after rainfalls. Why should the cost of repairing the damages willfully not be recovered from those officers who order for such digging and damaging roads after they are black topped. The quality of black-topping is nauseatingly and horribly of lowest quality as a simple rainfall punctuates such black topped roads with deep ditches and holes rattling and damaging the vehicles passing through them.
Why the authorities are not black listing the defaulting contractors who, as a matter of prevalent “conventions” in ERA “projects” are carrying out sub-standard work and causing huge losses to the State exchequer. Connivance of the officers and officials of the ERA needs to be unveiled and cases registered against them after instituting proper, impartial and transparent inquiries.

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