Officials said contractors delayed work due to penalties; engineers expect 80% will resume if fines removed
CHITRADURGA
Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr. S. Akash announced that contractors working under the Jal Jeevan Mission will get relief from the 10 percent delay penalty if they complete their pending work honestly. He made the announcement while chairing the District Water and Sanitation Mission Committee meeting held at the Zilla Panchayat hall.
Officials said many contractors had delayed work because of the penalty. Engineers estimated that nearly 80 percent of them would return and finish the projects if the fine was removed. Based on this suggestion, the CEO said only contractors responsible for poor-quality work would continue to face action. Notices will be issued before July 8, asking eligible contractors to complete the remaining work. Dr. Akash also said he would meet contractors in every taluk and guide them personally.
The meeting decided that contractors who carried out poor work would not receive any relief. A team of Tahsildar, Executive Officer, and engineers inspected the quality of such projects. Based on their report, officials will recover fines from those responsible and place their names on the blacklist without delay.
Dr. Akash also expressed concern over the slow declaration of Har Ghar Jal despite many completed works. He instructed officials to prepare an accurate list of houses in every village and submit a district report by July 10. He directed officials to complete ten projects every week in six taluks and declare Har Ghar Jal status in 240 villages every month.
Officials informed the meeting that 1,559 works were taken up under the Jal Jeevan Mission. So far, 1,011 have been completed, while Har Ghar Jal has been declared in 801 villages. Water is already reaching 615 locations through pipelines.
The scheme aims to provide every rural resident with at least 55 litres of safe drinking water daily through household tap connections. Dr. Akash directed engineers and officials to work together, complete the delayed projects, and ensure safe drinking water reaches every household as early as possible.
