STATE TIMES NEWS
NAGROTA: Apprehending politico-corporate nexus in the implementation of multi-crore new power distribution scheme in Jammu under APRDP, National Conference Provincial President, Devender Singh Rana on Saturday said the truth will come out only after a thorough and independent CBI probe. “If PDP-BJP coalition has nothing to hide, why doesn’t the government initiate process for CBI probe, especially as several pivotal questions are being raised with regard to material used by IRCON and specifications adhered to”, Rana said while interacting with windstorm affected people of his Nagrota Assembly Constituency at several places. He said the badly implemented project is giving nightmarish experience to power subscribers, who are left without supply for hours and even days due to heavy damages being frequently causing to service transformers and transmission lines. “The allegations about sub-standard material and deviation from specifications call for minute scrutiny by experts and thorough investigations by the CBI”, he said adding that impartial probe alone can help dig out the truth. Rana particularly referred to the disenchantment within higher rungs of the Power Development Department for being kept out of loop on this vital project and exposing them to public wrath due to intermittent snags in supply across the capital city. He did not rule out the role of unscrupulous elements in the political establishment who might have played truant with such a mega project for obvious reasons. “It is therefore imperative to have all the doubts cleared by an impartial and independent probe panel comprising experts and investigators from the CBI”, he said and regretted over the failure of PDP-BJP government in coming clean on this and offsetting apprehensions among the people. The Provincial President said that power crisis have impacted the supply of drinking water and functioning of irrigational pumps hugely. “This has led to a crisis like situation with people sweating due to frequent and unscheduled power cuts and scarcity of drinking water”, he said, adding that the monsoon winds and rains were adding to the miseries of the residents.
He referred to large scale damages caused to property and even loss to life due to high speed winds and urged the government to expedite compensation and survey by revenue authorities. He stressed the need for putting in place a foolproof contingency plan, based on the experience of previous monsoons, so that human loss and infrastructural damages can be averted. He also reiterated setting up of control rooms across the region to monitor the situation and to take corrective measures wherever needed. Attributing the miseries of people to inefficiency of the political executive, the Provincial President said that lack of direction has left the administration virtually rudderless. “The government has lost its will to govern, which is why the people are genuinely feeling to have been pushed to wall”, he added. The Provincial President asked the PDP-BJP duo to shun ostrich like behaviour and muster the courage to face the situation with reality. “Hollow promises won’t help the coalition to wriggle out of the mess they have created”, he added. “The scenario in Jammu is quite disgusting, as the people have been left to fend for everything”, he said and blamed the BJP for betraying the region by forgetting its commitments made to the electorate. Earlier, the MLA Nagrota started various developmental works in convergence between CDF and MNREGA. The works include Jandial Stadium, upgradation of the approach road to Shamshan Ghat in Agore and from Canal to Beri Chappri in Ranjan Panchayat besides a pond in Agore. He also sanctioned out of his Constituency Development Fund two 63 KVA transformers, one each in Upper Dabbar Mehra and Breri Chappri in Ranjan Panchayat.
