Adapting a zero tolerance policy, the drinking water and sanitation department secretary Aradhana Patnaik on Wednesday said that FIR would be lodged against contractors and other stakeholders if quality of mini water supply structures installed are found to be of poor quality.
Out of the total 1,20,000 tolas (hamlets) across the State, while 50 per cent are covered under big water supply schemes, mini water supply structures are to be installed in the remaining 60,000 tolas under the Mukhyamantri Jan Jal Yojana by the end of September this year.
Of these 60,000 tolas, 13,000 (2250 PVTG and 10,750 SC and ST) tolas are funded and constructed by the department while the remaining are to be constructed by the Mukhiyas with the funds of 14th finance commission.
Patnaik said, "While tenders for all the 13,000 tolas have been floated, work order has already been given for 2250 PTG tolas and 50 per cent of SC/ST tolas."
To ensure that the proper quality water supply structures are installed in all the tolas, a two day stakeholders consultation on solar based mini piped water supply scheme was organized by the department, starting Wednesday. On the first day, the department secretary and other officials met with the agencies, fabricators, solar pump and tubular structure manufacturers.
Patnaik said, “While the good performing contractors will be awarded by the department, immediate action will also be taken if poor quality structure is detected. If a fault is found, immediate FIR would be lodged against the contractor."
Motivating the contractors she added, “This scheme reaches the interior most areas of the State in the remotest villages. If you are able to provide quality drinking water there, it will give you a sense of self satisfaction.”
Patnaik told the stakeholders to ensure that at least one water supply structure is installed in each tola so as to prevent the women of rural areas to walk for miles to procure potable water.
Talking about the need for organising the workshop, Patnaik said that the tubular structure design is fairly new for the contractors in Jharkhand. "Till date the contractors are used to working with RCC tank water structure. This is for the first time that tubular structure is being used. We have received a few complains where the structures constructed using the funds of 14th FC were of poor quality so we decided that the stakeholders should be brought together and informed about the technicalities and the quality expected," she said.
The second day of the workshop to be held on Thursday will be with the monitoring authorities including engineers of different ranks of the drinking water and sanitation department.