Bhopal: The Jal Jeevan Mission in Madhya Pradesh has been accused of corruption, leading to the state police increasing their vigilance. The situation worsened after a contractor with involvement in some of the irregularities in Rewa was nominated for blacklisting. Having received this recommendation from the Public Works Department (PWD), the Madhya Pradesh Police Headquarters has passed a circular to all the Superintendents of Police (SPs) and directed them not to offer any work to the blacklisted contractor.
It was after a recent study done by the Rewa District Collector into the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission project that the alert was given. After constructing the pipelines, the contractor connected them to a water tank, according to the investigation findings. However, in a test run, the water tank fell, which was viewed as a severe question mark to the quality of the construction.
The occurrence occurred in Sangi Tola village of Jawa block in Rewa district, where a 100 kilolitre RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) tank was being built under the Jal Jeevan Mission. This work was contracted out as part of the mission to supply safe water for drinking as and when required. Unfortunately, during the testing phase on June 11, 2024, the water tank was destroyed, leaving the project in disarray.
As explained in the authorities’ letter, the contractor had agreed to undertake the work and promised the reconstruction of the damaged tank (as per letter no. 0 dated June 18, 2024). However, the tank’s failure proved that the construction standards were not adequately complied with. Negligence and the absence of effective management and work supervision on the side of responsible construction persons are the major shortcomings.
Due to this negligence, the authorities have been advised to prosecute the contractor as agreed upon in the contract.
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