Bad roads, power and drinking water crises in several parts of the State are likely to affect the ruling Samajwadi Party as it prepares to go to the polls.
EVEN THOUGH the State Government has been making tall claims about developmental activities, ‘B-S-P’ (Bijli-Sarak-Paani) continues to haunt the ruling establishment in the State.
The powers-that-be may insist that Lucknow is shining, but there are reports of bad roads, power and drinking water crises from several parts of the State. This is unlikely to politically benefit the ruling Samajwadi Party.
Indeed, after three years in power, as the SP prepares to go to the assembly elections, ‘B-S-P’ has become a mill around its neck. Senior officers sitting in cozy air-conditioned rooms in the Secretariat have been trying to show UP through the prism of Lucknow to their political masters. But, owing to the lack of basic amenities, UP continues to be a ‘Bimaru’ state, along with Bihar and MP. Moreover, the direct involvement of mafiosi in the contract business in the PWD, Irrigation and other developmental agencies has affected work.
If the Home Department has gone overboard highlighting the encounter of a criminal, carrying a reward of just Rs 10,000 on his head last week in Faizabad, there is a subtle message behind it. The Home Department has been flooded with complaints from PWD engineers about threats from criminals involved in road construction. There is a feeling in the PWD that criminals hampered the department’s smooth functioning. This reflects poorly on the Home Department.
{{/usCountry}}If the Home Department has gone overboard highlighting the encounter of a criminal, carrying a reward of just Rs 10,000 on his head last week in Faizabad, there is a subtle message behind it. The Home Department has been flooded with complaints from PWD engineers about threats from criminals involved in road construction. There is a feeling in the PWD that criminals hampered the department’s smooth functioning. This reflects poorly on the Home Department.
{{/usCountry}}The situation on the power and the drinking water fronts is equally worrisome.
Crime and contracts have become synonymous in the State. A large number of Mafiosi-turned MLAs have entered into this lucrative business. In the Public Works and the Irrigation Departments, the situation has assumed serious dimensions because of the murders of senior engineers. The Patnaik Committee report, submitted to the High Court in July, dwelt on the Mafiosi nexus in the government. The court has issued detailed guidelines about eliminating criminals from government contracts.
Beyond Lucknow, the roads in Varanasi and adjoining districts like Chandauli, Bhadhoi, Gazipur are in a dilapidated condition. Dr S Gulati of Varanasi says poor roads are causing spinal and joint pain to two-wheeler riders. At the same time, the authorities says there has been some improvement in construction of roads by the PWD, the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA), the Nagar Nigam and other agencies in the city over the past 18 months. PWD executive engineer DK Vohra claims the government has sanctioned two new projects for Varanasi and work will begin soon. Despite domination of Mafiosi in PWD offices, officers have refused to go on record. Varanasi police chief Ashutosh Pandey says instructions have been issued to the government departments concerned to inform police about dates of opening of tenders so that undue interference of the Mafiosi could be checked. There is always a large police deployment during the tender process in various government departments. The situation on the power and the water fronts in Varanasi is appalling. Power crisis has affected weavers in Varanasi, which is also facing a deficit of 65 MLD water supply.
Roads, power and water supply in Allahabad and its adjoining districts, too, are unsatisfactory. Three dozen roads are in a shambles in the Sangam city. The situation has affected business. Allahabad municipal commissioner Satya Narayan Srivastava, who took charge recently, has seen for himself the poor condition of roads in Rajrooppur, Bahadurganj, Dariyabad, Preetam Nagar, Meerganj, Chowk etc.
Shrivastav admits to the role of the Mafiosi. But Shakti Singh, Deputy GM ,UPPCL and AP Mishra, executive engineer of the UPPCL and Ardh Kumbh electricity department incharge rules out any mafia intervention in the UPPCL’s work because of several technicalities.
Residents of the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation area have been struggling to get proper drinking water supply in all the wards. The common grouse is that the government has never been sincere about providing the people with basic amenities. Development work has been at a standstill for over a year. GMC chief engineer RK Shukla said repair and construction of roads was delayed. Now, the corporation has issued work order for 300 projects worth Rs 7 crore. In Bahraich, roads, drinking water and power are in bad shape.
This is so though the both Bahraich and the Qaiserganj parliamentary seats, the district panchayat and four of six assembly seats are with the SP.
The city does not get more than eight to ten hours of power supply per day.
In Agra, Bijli- Sadak-Paani emerged as the major issue when Raj Babbar entered into the election scene.
Agra, being the focal point of the Taj Trapezium Zone, has been allocated a major share of funds. Nevertheless, the civic amenities leave a lot to be desired. Despite Supreme Court directives about uninterrupted power supply, there are long power cuts. The situation is no better when it comes to water supply. The Agra Jal Sansthan has been categorical in expressing its inability to provide proper water supply due to the present status of raw water in the Yamuna.
In Azamgarh, people have come to terms with the power power, water supply and road conditions. Mafiosi-turned politicians have bagged most of the contracts in the region. ‘Rangdari tax’ or extortion from genuine contractors has also affected work. The PWD was recently in the eye of the storm over sharing of work worth Rs 40 crore among Mafiosi. Later, work allotment was deferred, along with mass transfers in the department.
Even after over a year National Highway 58 in Meerut, which is the lifeline for western UP has failed to take off as the State Government has dilly-dallied on the issue. However, ADM (LA) Dr Abha held the implementing agency Western UP Tollways Limited (WUPTL) responsible for the delay. “They failed to furnish appropriate revenue records to the office,” she said. A proposal for widening the Meerut-Baghpat and the Meerut- Baraut roads is pending with the State Government. Things are no better in Muzaffarnagar. Most of the roads, including Delhi-Dehradun, Muzaffarnagar-Jansath, Muzaffarnagar-Deoband are in bad shape. Similarly, there is an acute shortage of at least 20 MLD water per day.
Expenditure of crores of rupees has only added more potholes to Ballia roads.
In 2004-05 and 05-06, crores of rupees were sanctioned to Ballia, due to PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav’s efforts. But, contractors swung into action and dug up even well-maintained metalled roads from Ballia to Chitbaragam, Varanasi, Rewati, Maniar, Nagara, Sikandarpur and Belthara road to stake claim to the tenders beforehand. In some cases, there was mud all over these roads.
With the onset of the monsoon, people had to drive at 10 km per hour to avoid accidents.
Senior bank manager Keshav Giri said news roads were worse than the older ones. The district is getting just six to eight hours of power supply a day against the promise of 16 to 18 hours. Minister of State for Urban Development Narad Rai says power officials in Ballia have been misleading him and claiming that 20 hours of power is available at substations. Now, he has asked the DM to inform him of the power supply available at feeders.