Board fails to complete first phase of sewerage project in Nakodar on time

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, February 6

The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) has failed to complete the first phase of laying sewerage lines in Nakodar town by December 31, 2019, as was submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by the state government.

Detailed project report approved in 2016

PWSSB Engineer-in-Chief, appearing for the state of Punjab, had submitted an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli stating that the detailed project report (DPR) of the first phase sewer was approved and vetted by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) on May 6, 2016, carrying scope of the lateral sewer of length 30.67 km and intercepting sewer of 6.96 km

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PWSSB Engineer-in-Chief, appearing for the state of Punjab, had submitted an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli stating that the detailed project report (DPR) of the first phase sewer was approved and vetted by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) on May 6, 2016, carrying scope of the lateral sewer of length 30.67 km and intercepting sewer of 6.96 km. He said that work is in progress and is likely to be completed by December 31, 2019.

Nakodar PWSSB Sub-Divisional Engineer Deepak Kumar said that 93 per cent of work has been completed so far. Notably, Jalandhar Executive Engineer Jatin had said just last month that 95 per cent of the work had been completed.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli, disposing of a civil writ petition filed by Aditya Bhatara on January 16, 2019, has ordered the monitoring of further progress. A status report would be filed after six months.

Petitioner Aditya Bhatara, in a representation to the Punjab Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of local government, had stated that the state had filed no status report in the High Court as he had not received a copy of it.

He said he had sought a copy of the status report through the RTI Act from the Executive Engineer of the Jalandhar PWSSB division who said that the status report had been filed by the principal secretary of local bodies.

Bhatara said that when he had sought a copy of the status report from the principal secretary’s local body, his RTI application in this regard was forwarded to the executive officer of the Nakodar Nagar council.

He noted in his representation that this proves that no status report has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which amounts to contempt of court.

The PSWSSB has posted on its website details of the fund and expenditure of the Urban Mission in Nakodar amounting to Rs 1565.54 lakh in the year 2018 -2019.