No tubewell connections released in 6 yrs despite 1,983 applications

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 4

For the total 1,983 applications received for tubewell connections in the district since January 2014, the DHBVN hasn’t released even a single connection till date.

It has announced that five of the applications which have fulfilled the eligibility condition are expected to be given connections shortly.

Against a total of 97 applications received in 2014, none of these could reach the ultimate stage of being eligible to get the connection as the applicants did not make the online payment of the cost of the five-star rated pumpset that was made mandatory by the department.

A total of 10 applicants reached the stage where they had deposited the estimated cost of the connection, but they could not make the online payment of the cost of the pumpset in this year.

While 51 applications were received in 2015, none of these could also clear the last hurdle (online payment).

In 2016, two of the 39 applications cleared all the stages and were able to deposit the online payment of the pumpset within the given time period.

The progress on this front went blank again in 2017 when none of the 35 applications could clear the mandatory process.

The largest number of applications was received in 2018, when as many as 1,436 farmers applied for the connection, but only three of them could meet the conditions.

The conditions include the permission for laying underground pipes for laying cable and making the payment of pumpset (motor) online. The department has received a total of 325 applications till date.

Though around 17 applications for the solar energy-based connections have also been submitted in the past year, none of these have also been released.

“A total of five applications stand approved and their connections are likely to be released soon as the matter is awaiting final approval at the headquarters at Hisar,” said Pradeep Chauhan, Superintending Engineer, DHBVN Faridabad Circle.