Collector asks EE to remove JJM pipelines in private layouts

PNS|Vijayawada

NTR District Collector Dr S Dilli Rao has directed Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWS & S) officials to conduct an inquiry regarding the construction of pipelines under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) at the unauthorised layouts at Nunna of Vijayawada Rural mandal.

As per the direction of the Collector, RWS & S Vijayawada Division Executive Engineer (EE) Ramalingeswara Prasad and Deputy Executive Engineer (DEE) Dayanand inspected the pipeline works at Nunna on Friday.

‘The Pioneer’ had published the news item ‘Nunna panchayat violates Jal Jeevan Mission rules’ on Friday, on the basis of which Collector Dilli Rao ordered the inquiry. For this work, an amount of Rs.30 lakh was diverted to private real estate ventures, where there were no houses.

According to sources, EE Ramalingeswara Prasad and DEE Dayanand inspected the construction of pipelines, and how they undertook the work without taking permission from higher authorities.

Also, they found that there were two unauthorised layouts near the Polavaram Right Main Canal and the pipeline works had been taken up in the interests of YSRCP leaders. They asked the RWS & S Vijayawada Rural Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Swetha about the construction of the JJM pipelines.

The two officers physically inspected the two layouts, where pipelines had been laid without the permission of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). As per the rules and regulations, the JJM tap connections should be given to households only.

But the Nunna panchayat officials laid pipelines at private real estate ventures and the inquiry officers found that it was totally wrong.

EE Ramalingeswara Prasad directed AEE Swetha to remove the JJM pipelines laid in the private ventures. And they sought a detailed report from her.