Assam: Rampant corruption and irregularities plague Boko's Public Health Engineering Department

The Boko Sub Division of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department is under severe scrutiny for alleged corruption and irregularities, particularly in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Villagers have voiced strong reactions, highlighting the department's consistent failure to provide essential services like pure drinking water, thereby betraying public trust.

Recently, significant corruption and irregularities in the JJM projects came to light following public outcry from the Hahim area along the Assam-Meghalaya border. Further allegations have emerged from the Lampi area, located under the Kamrup (Rural) District, about 100 kilometers from Assam's state capital. According to Krishna Sharma, the village headman, over 300 families reside in this mountainous region, yet they remain deprived of clean drinking water.

Biju Chetry, a resident of Lampi village, expressed deep disappointment that despite celebrating 75 years of independence, the people of Lampi still lack access to pure drinking water. He accused the PHE Department of gross negligence and corruption, noting that numerous government grants intended for water supply projects have failed to deliver due to the department's misconduct.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day address in 2019, had announced a significant commitment to the Jal Jeevan Mission, promising over Rs. 3.50 lakh crores to provide clean drinking water across the country. However, Chetry pointed out that since the 1990s, promises of clean water for Lampi have remained unfulfilled, with no family benefiting from the Harshanagar water supply scheme.

When questioned about the JJM project in Lampi, SDO Mukut Barman deflected responsibility, stating that the scheme began before his tenure at the Boko PHE sub-divisional office. He further alleged that the neighboring state of Meghalaya obstructed the water supply by altering the direction of the stream intended for Lampi's JJM implementation. However, village headman Krishna Sharma refuted these claims, explaining that Meghalaya residents use the stream for laundry, and praised Meghalaya's effective JJM execution.

Sharma criticized Assam's PHE engineers for their lack of expertise, which he attributed to the repeated failures of water supply schemes. In contrast, Barman mentioned plans to implement the JJM scheme using deep tube wells, adding that a recent Detailed Project Report (DPR) survey would soon initiate the project.

The villagers of Lampi are now questioning how much longer and how many more crores will be wasted in the name of providing clean drinking water, as the department continues to fail in delivering this basic necessity.

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