Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 19: For lack of funds and ongoing official red tape in the offices of concerned authorities, the construction and repair work on deep drains (Nallahs) in Shakti Nagar area of Ward number 29 has been badly affected resulting which these deep drains get flooded in rainy season and the water enters many houses inflicting damage.
The Councillor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Chowdhary Surinder Singh representing the Ward informed that only 50 per cent work of covering of these Nallahs has been completed in the Ward so far due to scarcity of funds.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Singh, who politically belongs to BJP and is first time Councillor, informed that areas of Rajpura and Shakti Nagar falls in his Ward.
“The sewerage work is only 40 per cent complete in my Ward so far,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the elected body of JMC responsible for developments in JMC Wards has completed over four years of its five years tenure but many development works are still miles away from completion and in some cases such works have not even started till date.
“Works done in my Ward include construction of a walkway along Ranbir Canal with a fountain,” he maintained adding: “Construction and repair work of lanes and drains is almost 90 per cent complete in the Ward while tendering work for the remaining has also been done.”
The Councillor also said that blacktopping work in Ward number 29 is almost complete.
“The public park at Rajpura is a well maintained one in the area with an Open Air Gym, seating arrangements, shed and tiles laid on a beautiful walkway,” he further said.
Singh claimed that there is no playground in his Ward and no place for parking of vehicles but the cleanliness is good though the Ward has a shortage of 10 Safai Karamcharis.
“Fogging has been done in the Ward to safeguard the people there from the ongoing dengue fever in Jammu while water and power supply in the Ward is normal,” he said.
On Smart Meters, the Councillor said that there is mixed public reaction.
“The autos moving from door-to-door to collect garbage are doing a good job while the Ward also suffers from the menace of stray dogs which not only litter here and there but also panic children and elders of the area,” Chowdhary Surinder Singh claimed.
However, certain people in the Ward have complained that the garbage collector autos do not perform their duty properly in lane Nos. 10, 11 and 12 of Shakti Nagar which has resulted in garbage dumps there.
The Councillor further said that his efforts materialized and a Community Hall was constructed at Guru Ravi Dass Temple in the Ward at an expenditure of Rs. 50 lakh.
“There is no transport facility in the Ward except newly introduced e-rickshaws,” he said adding: “There are many addicts and peddlers active in the Ward and the issue was taken up many times at police-public meetings while cases of thefts of iron gratings from drains have also been reported form the Ward.”
Some people from the Ward complained about lack of Street Lights on the road stretch from a popular ice cream vend to the office of the Accountant General, on which the Councillor said, due to high tension wires passing from above that road, there was some technical problem in installing Street Lights there, but, now solution for that has been reached and Rs. 50 lakh have also been sanctioned for Street Lights which shall now be installed on that road stretch and in some other areas of the Ward too.
He informed that status of Street Lights in rest of the Ward is satisfactorily.
Locals of the Ward also had complaints regarding flooding of a Nallah along the side of the road on canal side of the Ward in rainy days on which the JMC Councillor said that a project of Rs. 3 crore has been sanctioned for the Nallah on that road and work on it may start soon.
“Completion of this work may put an end to the flood from the Nallah on canal road side of the Ward,” Singh said adding that encroachment along the sides of the Nallah and its diversion by an influential family living in the area remained responsible for the flood from the Nallah.
He also said that almost all the eligible persons in the Ward have got doses of COVID-19 vaccination while Ayushman and Aadhar Cards have also been made by almost all the Ward residents.
“All the eligible voters in the Ward have got their Voter Cards and camps are still being organized in the Ward for the leftover persons in this regard,” the Councillor said.
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