look news india
Kolkata, 09 December (Hindu). West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken a tough stance regarding the irregularities in the Jalswapna project. In the meeting held with PHE department officials on Monday, the Chief Minister gave clear instructions that payment for any project will be made only after the work is completed. Also, show cause notices have been issued to 23 administrative officers and 373 contractors.
The Chief Minister said that under the Jalswapna project, taps have been installed at many places without ensuring water supply. He also raised questions as to why multiple contracts were awarded to the same contractor. Mamata Banerjee said that from now on the contractors will be paid only after the progress report of the work is submitted.
In the meeting, the Chief Minister informed that so far 11 thousand 200 complaints have been registered against this project, out of which FIR has been registered in 500 cases. Reprimanding the officials, he said that pump operators were not appointed at many places, due to which water distribution was disrupted.
The Chief Minister also alleged that many officials were in collusion with the contractors. He directed the District Magistrates to increase monitoring of the project and complete it as soon as possible.
This step is a major decision taken by the Chief Minister towards bringing transparency and accountability in government projects. The state government has made it clear that water theft and irregularities will not be tolerated at any cost.