When an asset is created out of the available limited resources, prudence wants its full utilization to give necessary output and lolling the same later for whatever reason, is tantamount to wasting the asset and squandering the investment made. It also reflects upon the quality of taking of decisions of the authorities. We are continuously opining on the levels of performance in various state departments and wings of the administration, urging the need for exploring ways to bring about improvements therein, there being enough “scope” for that. In the instant case, that of tractor operated sewage suction machines lying in a state of no utilization, impliedly comment upon, how huge money spent on their acquiring was either not necessary and thus wasted, or lack of the knowledge of how to make the utilization of the machines or the assets and how to accomplish the purpose for which they were purchased.
It is quite unfortunate to find that large number of tractor operated sewage suction machines have been kept idling and lounging by the authorities of the Jammu Municipal Corporation at Narwal nearly for more than two years. It may be recalled that under Atal Mission of Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a notable scheme of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs provides for, among other things, acquiring of these machines for obvious utility reasons but these machines have not been put to use and are in a state of dissipation in the yard of Urban Environment Engineering Department (UEED) at Narwal, Jammu. The scheme of AMRUT, it may be recalled, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015.
The double edged loss or mismanaged asset use, can be gauged by how people have been deprived of the services under this scheme via these machines, to monitor the septic system problems of plugging or emptying of the underground sedimentation tanks which is otherwise one of the thrust areas of AMRUT scheme and secondly, how the money spent on them seems having absolutely gone waste for over two years. Who should be held accountable in the entire hierarchy of Jammu Municipal Corporation in this matter is, not only important but the causes of non use of these machines, despite dire needs of them, must be made known in the light of allowing private operators to have a field day in an un-authorised way to come in where the JMC could not. It is a glimpse of how schemes formulated at the national level for the betterment of the people are wilfully made not to reach them thus defeating the very purpose behind launching of such schemes.
It is learnt that because of space constraints with the Jammu Municipal Corporation, all these tractor operated machines were “dumped” in the Narwal yard of UEED which, in cooperation with the JMC, looks after drainage system and associated problems in the city of Jammu. Perhaps, either they conveniently forgot to put them to use or sheer lethargy came in the way to lift them on need based requirements from Narwal and parking them back in the yard after putting them to use. Alibi of various natures like traffic congestion etc can hold no water as strangely, throughout day and night, tractor trollies ferrying building material like sand etc can be seen on most of the roads or lanes in Jammu city.
We want to know as to whether these machines have ever been operated at regular intervals at all, just to prevent them from getting rusted and grass grown under their wheel tyres as is reminiscent with the condition of written off, discarded and thrown out items of no use? In the meantime, an effective and a result oriented inquiry should be instituted into the entire state of affairs and responsibilities fixed seriously. We shall be monitoring the developments closely.
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