Ongole: Collector P Bhaskara pulls up Rural Water Supply Department staff for pending works

Ongole: Prakasam District Collector P Bhaskara here on Wednesday expressed anger at the failure of the Rural Water Supply Department (RWS) officials in operation and maintenance of safe drinking water programme in the district.

Holding a review meeting here, the Collector said funds for supply drinking water during summer were already released under various schemes last year. But the works remained incomplete. He pointed out that there was no progress in works at Kanigiri, five in Kandukur, twelve in Addanki, and various works in Markapuam, Darsi, and Giddalur constituencies.

He warned the officials that there should be a change in the tender process for the operation and maintenance of the safe drinking water supply programmes and directed them to submit a full report on the status of works allocation, estimations, time for contractors, and extensions for 2019-20 in two days.

He instructed the officials to prepare estimates for works to be taken up from June 11 to July 18. A new model for technical approvals and tender schedules would be introduced. He ordered the officials to dig borewells deeper to takle the water scarcity in places like Markapur, where 1,681 borewells went dry already.

The JC2 TS Chetan, RWS SE Sanjeeva Reddy, ZP CEO T Kailash Gireeswar, DPO Narayana Reddy, irrigation SE Reddaiah, municipal commissioners, and engineering officials also participated in the meeting.