Schichen Dialgam Residents File Complaint Against PHE Department Anantnag, Request LG Administration’s Intervention

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag: Residents of Schichen Dialgam village in Anantnag District have filed a complaint against the executing agency of the PHE Division Bijbehara, urging the LG administration to rectify the work done by the contractor in their village.

A copy of the complaint, available at the office of Arising State, alleges that two previous schemes of the PHE department in the area have already failed, resulting in a significant waste of public funds.

The residents claim that under the new scheme currently in progress, the executing agency of PHE Division Bijbehara is laying pipes above the ground, which are likely to burst during the winter, causing suffering and wasting the allocated funds, amounting to crores of rupees.

According to the complaint, the pipes (1.5 inches and 1 inch in diameter) have been buried only two to three inches underground, with most remaining exposed, contrary to the required depth of 2.5 feet as per the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The residents argue that considering the harsh winters, the pipes must be buried at least 2.5 feet underground.

The complaint also highlights that the main lines are overlapped, making future repairs or damage rectifications nearly impossible, which goes against the norms. Furthermore, supply pipes on road cuts are either exposed or buried just two inches underground, likely causing significant issues during winters.

The residents have requested that the LG administration ensure the contractor rectifies the work before the clearance certificate is issued by technical experts. They also demanded that the contractor’s bill not be processed until the work is verified, fearing that once the payment is released, the scheme may remain incomplete, resulting in wastage of government funds.

Meanwhile, speaking to Arising State, Exen PHE Anantnag, Mohd Sareer, said, “We have not received any complaint from the village. If there is any problem, we will rectify it. If the villagers want to see the project design, they are welcome to visit my office, and I will show them.” He further alleged that some government employees from other departments, who belong to the same village, are provoking the residents against the work done by the executing agency.