145;Outdated machinery delayed Giri scheme146;

8220;After this problem is solved, for which help of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has been sought, the scheme is expected to be completed before next summer,8221; said Ravinder Ravi, addressing a press conference here.

Blaming the previous Congress government for 8220;carelessness8221;, Ravi said, 8220;The parts used in the transformers have been made in 1998, while the machines installed in the pumping house are the latest. It is gross negligence on part of the Congress government, which did not bother to see that the outdated machinery would not take the load of new pumps. No wonder, due to low voltage, of the six pumps, only two are functioning.8221;

When asked, he said the IPH department had conducted an inquiry into the causes of delay in the scheme, pending completion for years. He said the delay has cost the state exchequer, as well as the people. 8220;Strict action would be taken against contractors and officials responsible for the delay,8221; said Ravi. He alleged that instead of allotting project construction to one contractor, so that responsibility could be fixed, the previous Congress government allotted work to about 50 different contractors, which created a mess.

The project was initiated during the last Congress government, but was not completed within the stipulated period. Now, again, the BJP government has failed to dedicate it to the people within this year, as promised during the elections. Due to the delay, the cost of the scheme has also escalated by Rs 15 crore.

Earlier this year, when the IPH department was struggling hard to complete the scheme by April, leaks along the 24-kilometre area from Bhekalti to Sanjauli water tanks was quoted as the reason behind the delay.

The current drinking water requirement of the town is 42 million litres per day MLD, while the existing six schemes are providing about 25 MLD. The remaining 20 MLD was expected to be met by the Giri scheme, which has supplied only about six MLD this year. The scheme was to be completed two years back and would have met the water needs of the town for the next 10 years.