Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal and Jalandhar district administration have once again come to loggerheads now over requirement of 2,000 litres of diesel for the work of plugging of 950-feet breach on Dhussi Bundh of Sutlej river in Gata Mandi Kasu village.
The tussle between Seechewal and drainage department ensued after the former was given all the credit for plugging 325-ft breach at Dhussi Bundh in Mandala Channa village last week.
As per available information, Seechewal, who is spearheading work of plugging breach since the day it were reported on July 10, had written to deputy commissioner office for diesel required for transporting sand and sand bags through tippers and trolleys besides running other machineries at the spot.
However, Seechewal office alleged that instead of fulfilling the requirement, the file pertaining to it is taking dust from one table to another as not a drop of diesel was provided by the administration post July 18.
It may be mentioned that this is not for the first time that both the entities had raised questions over each others working as earlier on July 17, the local officials of the Drainage Department have sent a written complaint to the chief engineer of Water Resources Department and Jalandhar deputy commissioner Vishesh Sarangal alleging that Balbir SIngh Seechewal for interfering in the work golf bridging 950-ft wide breach. They alleged that the contractor hired for the plugging the gap had shown his reluctance to continue with the work due to inference by the Rajya Sabha member.
The department had also stopped the work briefly before they resumed it on July 18 after meetings with the top officials. The work on the one side of the breach is led by Seechewal, while the drainage department has been carrying the same work on the other side of the Bundh through its contractors. As per the officials, the efforts to plug the breach are on a war-footing before the water is released from the Bhakra Dam.
{{/usCountry}}The department had also stopped the work briefly before they resumed it on July 18 after meetings with the top officials. The work on the one side of the breach is led by Seechewal, while the drainage department has been carrying the same work on the other side of the Bundh through its contractors. As per the officials, the efforts to plug the breach are on a war-footing before the water is released from the Bhakra Dam.
{{/usCountry}}“There is no supply of diesel post July 18 as the earlier stock provided by the drainage department was completely drained,” an office bearer of Seechwal said. Meanwhile, Seechewal said there should not be any important work than providing required logistics well before time as they are already running short of crucial time.
“It is not about diesel as the philanthropists from different parts of the state be in an association of doctors from Moga donated 2,000 litres of diesel, while NRI from the region paid ₹1.5 lakh to a nearby petrol pump for supply of the diesel post July 18. Two children came with 10 litres of diesel in a can from Amritsar,” he said.
Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Sarangal said he had immediately directed the concerned executive engineer of the drainage department to provide the required diesel so that flood relief arrangements can be required in streamlined manner. “I have been ensuring that all the key logistics are provided to all the teams working on the ground. The entire work is looked after financially by drainage department as I don’t have any dedicated funds for the same,” he said. He added that he will ensure the supply can be made in due time.