Funds for Fatehabad projects reviewed at dist meeting

Questions over spending on a lake beautification project, power supply in rural areas and the growing drug problem dominated a district development review meeting held in Fatehabad on Tuesday. Officials from several departments were pulled up over slow progress and unclear responses on key schemes.

The District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting was chaired by Sirsa MP and Congress leader Kumari Selja at the DPRC Hall. During the session, she objected to Rs 13 crore spent on the beautification and development of Chilli Lake. Showing photographs of the site to Deputy Commissioner Vivek Bharti, she asked where the funds had been used and called for an investigation. The DC assured her that an inquiry would be conducted.

An Irrigation Department official said his department’s work on the project had been completed three years earlier, and that further development was the responsibility of the municipal council. Officials from the Public Health Department said their portion of the work was also complete. Selja instructed the officials to give clear and specific answers on every agenda point. When the issue of round-the-clock power in Gorakhpur village was raised, Power Department officers said electricity theft was high and dues had reached about Rs 1 crore.

Fatehabad MLA Balwan Singh Daulatpuria questioned who was responsible for collecting the dues, while Selja remarked that it was ironic to showcase a nuclear project in Gorakhpur while the village itself did not receive full electricity supply.

She also expressed anger over delays in development works under the Bhattu Panchayat Samiti. When the officials failed to provide satisfactory answers, Selja criticised the administration, saying work could not stop simply because certain officers were on leave. She directed that pending projects be started immediately.

Raising the issue of drug abuse, Selja told Superintendent of Police Siddhant Jain that the drug use was spreading through border areas and that police action appeared to be weak. The SP replied that arrests were being made and chemical-based drugs were seized recently.

Selja also questioned the Agriculture Department over the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, saying reports from the ground did not match the official claims.

She said officials must ensure that the farmers, not private companies, benefited from such schemes.

The panel meeting also reviewed progress under various Central programmes, including rural electrification, irrigation, employment generation, housing, and health schemes.