Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Public hearings mandated by the state government on Saturday, seem to have been turned into mere formality.
The residents of Nawada Gram Panchayat of Khachrod district have learn it the hard way as their application for starting the water supply under the Nal-Jal Scheme not once or twice but four times, but the officials have failed to pay heed to their plight.
The officials have provided tap connection to the homes in the village but the villagers who turned up for the public hearing for the fourth time on Tuesday, categorically District Panchayat CEO Ankita Dhavare that if water supply does not commence then they will block highway to register their protest.
A tap-water scheme was approved for Nawada, in 2018. A total of Rs 64 lakhs were sanctioned for laying pipeline and providing connections to every home in the village.
The connections were provided but water supply is yet to commence in the village. Not just this, over 300 villagers are paying water tax of Rs 90 every month without aviling of the facility.
Villagers have approached officials during the jan sunwai held on October 5, November 2 and November 16 demanding that water supply be started but the officials have remained apathetic to their woes.
CEO asks officials to book complainant
A villager Anandilal Kapasya alleged that along with issue of water supply the villagers are also hassled due to filling of dirty water on Ravidas Dharamshala Road and Banjara Basti.
Panchayat secretary has paid no heed to the resolving these problems, he added. When he complained about the water woes to the district CEO- the official pressured him to withdraw the complaint and instead ordered that the Anandila be booked for obstructing government work. Anandilal told that if his problems are not resolved then the villagers will launch an aggressive agitation.