Funds for drinking water projects in Deodurg taluk misused: JSP

The Hindu: Raichur: Tuesday, 04 August 2015.

The Jan Sangram Parishat (JSP) has alleged that officials and contractors had misappropriated over Rs. 15 crore meant for the implementation of drinking water projects, including those under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, in Deodurg taluk between 2011 and 2014.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, JSP State working president Raghavendra Kushtagi sought action against the officers and elected representatives involved in the fraud and said that the contractors should be blacklisted. He said that 39 villages in Deodurg taluk continued to be deprived of drinking water due to the incomplete projects.

“As per the information obtained through the Right to Information Act, 13 surface-water-source-based drinking water projects were taken up at a cost of Rs. 32 crore between 2011 and 2014 for providing safe drinking water to 39 villages. The RTI reply also said that all the projects had been completed and drinking water is being supplied to villages. However, except one project that covers four villages, including Ramanal, no project is functional,” he charged. He released the RTI reply and the recent photos in support of his allegations.

A sum of Rs. 1,500 was collected from each beneficiary household as per the provisions of the programme to ensure people’s participation. But the beneficiary households had not received a single pot of water from the projects, Mr. Kushtagi said. “Of the Rs. 32 crore spent on drinking water projects in the three years, over 50 per cent had been misappropriated,” he alleged. He demanded that government officers involved in the scam be placed under suspension and an investigation be initiated into the issue.

“Criminal cases should be booked against the officers, people’s representatives and contractors,” Mr. Kushtagi said.

He also demanded that the administration complete the unfinished projects and ensure that the intended villages get safe drinking water as soon as possible. V.A. Malipatil, a leading psychiatrist, said that the people in the areas were suffering from various physical ailments as they were forced to drink fluoride-contaminated water.