STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-PDP Government for its gross failure in providing even the basic amenities and essential services to the people including uninterrupted power and water supply, Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP and former Minister, said that people’s distrust was fast translating into anger which could prove disastrous for the present regime.
He said that frequent and unscheduled power cuts, huge voltage fluctuations, irregular supply of water besides polluted and contaminated water supplied in the Jammu city besides other places had created an alarming situation with people boiling with rage against the criminal apathy of helmsmen.
Harsh regretted that the acute power crisis had made the life of common man miserable all across the Jammu region including Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban during the ongoing summer season.
He said that scheduled and unscheduled power cuts during scorching summer with soaring humidity had thrown life out of gear in both urban and rural areas with clamoring and grievances of people going un-heard and unaddressed.
He regretted that despite the pathetic plight of the people, the mandated leaders of the Saffron Party had failed to pay any head their concerns. Ridiculing the tall claims made by the State and Central Government on good governance, he said that the people of Jammu especially the aged, ailing, traders and the children were having the horrific and gruesome experiences of the much proclaimed Achhe Din of the BJP partnered Govt.
Harsh further sought the accountability of the State govt. and questioned the Power Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh regarding the fate of 150 MMT dedicated coal mine which was promised to be allotted to J and K in the Agenda of Alliance for establishing a thermal plant.
He further sought a response from the Central Govt. in respect of the assurance given by Union Power Minister for provision of an additional 440 KV Transmission Line from Jalandhar to Jammu as an alternate Northern Grid connectivity.
Lambasting the authorities for polluted and unhygienic water supplied to Jammu people, Harsh pointed out that only recently a survey conducted by Kelly memorial society, an internationally acclaimed NGO had examined 2547 people in Jammu out of which 836 were found suffering from water borne diseases.
He said that 68.18 per cent samples were found to be containing poisonous elements which had posed severe health hazards to the people. He said that several reports in the past have revealed huge quantities of ammonia, nitrate, PH, chloride and floride besides highly toxic arsenic elements causing skin diseases besides gastro-enteritis and cancer like diseases. He pointed out that at several places, the damaged sever pipes and water supply pipes had got connected thus supplying the filth, rubbish and refuse in a dissolved form with water to the user agencies.
Accusing the BJP for their policy of subterfuge, the Former Education Minister warned the Saffron Party not to take the people of Jammu for granted otherwise the public anger already having reached its peak would erase the BJP’s existence from its once political bastion.