Huge resentment against the Poonch administration over the ongoing water, power crisis

Huge resentment against the Poonch administration over the ongoing water, power crisis

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: After spending thousands of crores by Jal Shakti and JPDCL in the name of improving infrastructure, nothing concrete has been done so far as a result; people have been facing regular crises of water and power supply. PHE officials have only one excuse, and that is “Motor Kharab hai”. Imagine what would happen to the water supply if Poonch witnessed four to five days of power curtailment.

The district administration believes in routine work affairs and never bothered to question the performance of the PHE and PDD departments. Over the years, thousands of crores were provided to these two departments under various schemes, but the majority of schemes were completed on paper only; thereby, tainted officers looted money meant for strengthening the water and power infrastructure. In many streets, people were seen chanting slogans like “administration hai hai”, “PHE Poonch hai hai”, and “PDD Poonch hai hai’. If this is the condition of Poonch city, then one can imagine the state of affairs of PHE and PDD in far-flung areas of Poonch district. Executive Engineers PHE and PDD, reportedly, are not taking keen interest in improving the infrastructure of their departments. Opinion leaders, civil society members and other political personalities have been continuously raising the issue of poor water and power supply, but nobody in the administration is ready to address these most burning problems from which the public is suffering a lot.  Huge power cuts and irregular water supply have shattered the life of a common man.  If the administration cannot provide a regular power and water supply, then what is expected of other big developmental things, said locals. A senior citizen, pleading anonymity, said, “The Jal Shakti department remained a hub of huge financial scandals, particularly the Jal Jeevan Mission, but it’s shocking that the department has done nothing on the ground to strengthen the infrastructure to ensure a regular supply. Officers came to Poonch and looted the government exchequer, thereby leaving the citizens of Poonch at the mercy of God only.” The people from every section of the society have sought the attention of the government on this issue of extreme public importance and demanded a regular water and electricity supply during the ongoing harsh winter conditions.