Two women admitted to MGM
Jamshedpur, Dec 12: The indefinite fast of the residents of the Bagbera and Gaghidih has entered into the second day.
On Thursday two of the nine women, who are sitting on fast, have been shifted to the state run MGM Hospital after their health weakened.
Peeved over railways indifferent attitude in giving No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the drinking water and sanitation department to execute Rs. 138 crore Bagbera Gramin Jalapurti Yojna (BGJY), the locals of the Bagbera and Gaghidih resorted to indefinite strike from Wednesday.
“The Chakardharpur division railway authorities are coming up with one excuse or the other on each time we approach them to give NOC to the drinking water and sanitation department.
Disappointed we decided to sit on the indefinite fast,” said Subodh Jha, convenor of Bagbera Mahanagar Vikas Samiti. The rural drinking water project, sanctioned in 2006, has failed to get execute in the wake of non-availability of NOC of the land that belong to the railways.
“NOC is a technical issue that deserves involvement of the state government at the highest level. We are not supposed to deal with the local residents in this way and we have communicated this to the people staging dharna,” said a senior railway officer of the Chakradharpur division.
The Rs. 3.50 Lakh that was deposited with the railways on Wednesday was returned to the Samity on Thursday. “Earlier, in lieu of the NOC, railway authorities asked for Rs. 3.50 Lakh (apparently to pay the fee to the agency that will carry out mapping work on the area identified for water project and transportation of logistics) and we submitted the amount on Wednesday but this morning they returned the fund advising us to let the fund come through state government agencies,” said Jha.
The pipeline of the proposed project will pass under tracks on Adityapur-Jugsalai bridge and through the Bagbera railway colony.
“If there’s no positive outcome by Friday than we would lock up the Railway water pump house in Bagbera and prevent the railway staff from having water for indefinite period,” said Jha.
A senior official of the drinking water and sanitation department said they are hopeful of early breakthrough in this matter.
The water project, aims to supply tap water to over 2 lakh residents of Bagbera, Parsudih, Ghaghidih, Kitadih and Karandih spread over 113 villages in 21 panchayats.
