Showing his annoyance over lack of knowledge of on- going projects Urban Development Minister Azam Khan ordered suspension of Executive Engineer Jal Nigam Allahabad and asked officials to be well verse with the schemes being operated in their areas.
The minister showed dis-satisfaction over officials’ failure to complete projects under JNNURM in time that resulted in escalation of cost. Azam Khan held a review meeting of his department on Tuesday in which senior officials of the department took part. A Government spokesman said that executive engineer Anup Kumar Saxena faced the ire of minister for his lack of knowledge about the on-going projects under JNNURM and solid waste management projects.
The minister also asked his deputy Chitaranjan Swaroop to carry out a field survey on sewerage distribution system of Kanpur and submit report by Wednesday. "If the report submitted by officials in the meeting was found to be incorrect action would be taken against them," he said. "The slow pace in implementation of JNNURM has resulted in increase in cost of the projects. Those engineers who are responsible for this delay should be identified and they should be asked to pay the escalated cost," Azam Khan said.
The minister also issued directives to the officials to complete the JNNURM projects within stipulated time. "Progress in some of the projects is between 3 per cent and 40 per cent. Such projects should be dropped because these cannot be completed by March 31, 2014," he said. The minister also suggested that his department should not promote automation as this will eat into man power resulting in increase in unemployment. "Such kind of projects which increases unemployment should not be promoted in a welfare state," the minister said. Directives were also issued to officials to remove encroachments from the roads. Efforts should be made to beautify the dividers and footpaths, he said.