Clip on JJS; Collector orders strict action

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Residents of Indiravanam village panchayat in Chetpet panchayat union in Tiruvannamalai district are upset that a Centre’s Jal Jeevan Scheme (JJS) to provide potable water to houses in the village has only been half-completed with just street taps alone being installed without pipeline to provide the supply.

The scheme was implemented by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Departments under the 2022-23,15th Finance Commission subsidy scheme at an estimate of Rs 3.69 lakh. In all cases, a small square slab was the base at the end of which a small rectangular slab was placed vertically on which the tap was fixed.

The issue went viral on social media after a video showing a local youth, Murali Krishna, removing the vertical stone holding the tap and revealing there is no supply pipeline below it. In the video, he is seen stating that the entire cost for this fixture would not be more than Rs 150 and that even if Rs 10,000 was spent to fix per tap it would be highly exaggerated.

Locals said that only 10 such “connections” of the 52 planned for the area were provided. Local BJP cadre, who came to the spot, said action should be taken against officials who were wantonly resorting to poor execution of the Jal Jeevan Scheme with an intention to create a bad name for the central government.

When asked, Collector Murugesh said the youth, who circulated the video, did so wantonly since he was piqued as bills for the contractor under whom he worked were delayed. Pipelines were only now being laid for this scheme, which will ensure water for all households, he explained.

On Wednesday the Collector said that he had ordered the police to register an FIR against the youth.

“After getting information about the planned criminal action, the youth is now backtracking on what he said in the video and pleading that action be dropped. But I have decided to direct SP Karthikeyan to go ahead with the action so that it will be a deterrent to others,” the Collector said.