Firms not completing works under Jal Jeevan Mission on time will face FIR, jail, warns UP minister

In Monday’s meeting with senior department officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department) Anurag Srivastava, minister Singh expressed strong displeasure over the slow pace of work by companies — BGCC and L&T — in the Vindhya and Bundelkhand regions.

The minister said the work of providing water supply to every household in Bundelkhand and Vindhya should be completed in the next 30 days. Except for four to five schemes, work on all other projects has been completed 100 percent, he said, adding that most villages are now receiving water supply.

In 3 percent of villages, regular water supply has been affected due to pipeline damage or other issues, the minister was told. Instructions were issued to immediately rectify these problems.

The minister also instructed executive engineers and other officials of all districts to keep public representatives fully informed about every situation failing which, strict action would be initiated against them. Also, district executive engineers and other officials were instructed to visit villages and resolve issues faced by people on the ground.

During the meeting, the officials said of the 9,772 km road dug during pipeline installation in Bundelkhand and Vindhya, repair work on 9,435 km had already been completed.

In some areas, roads have subsided again due to rainfall or waterlogging, they said, adding special drives were being carried out to repair such roads and restore them.

Singh also launched the ‘Jal Sarathi’ App to ensure quick resolution of issues related to water supply. The app will provide villagers with detailed information on the status of water supply in their village, expenditure incurred on the project, and the progress of ongoing construction works. It will also display the names and contact numbers of the officials concerned.

Also, people will be able to register complaints related to water supply through this app, it is learnt. The app will be available on both Android and Apple (iOS) platforms.

The minister said a Jal Utsav will be organised in all villages where 100 percent household water supply has been achieved. The festival will be celebrated from March 8 to March 22 in these villages.