Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Under construction water tank demolished at Kotli Jawahar village causing loss to public exchequer
Rohit Gupta
Gurdaspur, February 6, 2023: An under-construction water tank was demolished at Kotli Jawahar village at the direction of Public health officials causing loss to the public exchequer. After demolishing the under-construction water tank which as per the report was 25 % complete, the contractor has started building a new tank.
As per sources, the tender for the complete work of a tank (including motor, pipelines, and tank) for streamlining the water supply by Public Health at village Kotli Jawahar was allocated to SR Construction Company, Pathankot, at the cost of Rs.55 lakhs.
The company started work on it on December 13, 2022, but when the water tank called OHSR (overhead service reservoir) around 25 percent was completed, the officials demolished it on 13 January 2023 stating that the work was not going well, although the department officials were constantly reviewing the work during the start of the work and the map of the tank construction was also given by the department to the contractor.
The construction work of the old tank was done in the presence of the officials. After demolishing the under-construction tank, a new tank is being constructed at a distance of about seven feet from the old tank by the contractor.
Contractor Raman Mahajan told that he did all the work as per the map and instructions given by the department but the officials ordered to break the tank.
SDO Kansraj refused to speak on the matter. It is learned that some contractors have also complained to the department against the SDO.