Saryu Roy Criticises Poor Pace of Development Works in Jamshedpur, Promises to Hold Officials Accountable

– The issue of the Convention Center and DM Library remains unresolved

– Water has not yet reached the Baliguma tank

– Administrative approval has not been received in many cases

– It is not our workers’ job to address poor roads and drains

– Funds allocated for civic amenities should be spent solely on them, not elsewhere

– Doing business from community halls is wrong

– JNAC and Mango Municipal Corporation should focus on their core work

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Nov 23: Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy has strongly condemned the sluggish pace of government schemes and the alleged apathy of administrative officials. Marking the completion of one year since the Jharkhand Assembly election results, he held a press conference at his Bistupur residence/office and declared that this year he would exert relentless pressure on officials to ensure that public amenities reached the people without delay.

Roy stated that although some development work had been carried out in the past year, it required tremendous effort just to secure cooperation from the administration. Giving examples, he said the construction of the Kadma Convention Centre had been going on since January with no rapid progress. Similarly, the DM Library building which once functioned despite being dilapidated, had now been renovated, yet library services had not resumed. Water had still not reached the Baliguma tank. “These projects should have been completed by now, but government inaction has stalled them,” he said.

Roy also reminded the media of the months-old incident when the Deshbandhu Line area was submerged under water. He personally waded through the area and proposed solutions. “Funds are available, plans are ready, but administrative approval has not come through,” he said. He stated that he spoke to the Secretary three times most recently five days ago yet approval was still pending.

“From this year onward, tremendous pressure will be exerted to restore public facilities,” Roy said. He added that whether an official was junior or senior, everyone would be held accountable. “If a streetlight is not working, fix it immediately. If it needs replacement, replace it. It does not take four months to install a streetlight,” he remarked. He emphasized that government funds allocated for civic facilities must be spent exclusively on civic facilities, not diverted elsewhere. He specifically mentioned that the Municipal Corporation and JNAC must fulfill their obligations toward the public.

The MLA made it clear that the responsibility of identifying civic problems lay with administrative bodies, not workers or volunteers. “You have an extensive system. It is the job of that system to monitor what is lacking roads, drains, sanitation, water, or power,” he said.

Speaking on community buildings, Roy alleged misuse by certain operators. While many were running community halls responsibly, others had converted them into commercial enterprises. “You take over a building for an auspicious event and put up air-conditioned tents, this is not right,” he said.

Roy expressed dissatisfaction with contractors as well, stating that foundation stones were laid, work commenced for a week, and then contractors vanished. Meanwhile, the JNAC continued to issue notices and demolished structures but failed to focus on core civic responsibilities. He added that outsourcing of nearly all work had weakened the delivery system. Delays in work orders even after project approvals would not be tolerated anymore.

He also highlighted issues such as the lack of proper Anganwadi centres and irregular payments to workers. “If the government employs low-paid workers, then it must ensure timely and complete payment,” he stressed.

Roy concluded that for the next one year, he and his colleagues would focus on compelling the administration, municipal agencies and other departments to provide basic amenities to citizens. He also expressed concern over increasing allegations that police officers had started collecting money themselves something he intended to examine separately.

“This past year, the government, administration, JNAC, and Mango Municipal Corporation did not deliver. This year, we will ensure the work gets done,” he asserted.

Development work worth over Rs 40 crore approved in one year

At the press conference, Roy stated that over Rs 40 crore worth of development work had been approved or implemented during the year. These included  Rs 7,16,65,116 from the MLA fund; Rs 19,16,41,543 from the Urban Development Department; Rs 69,19,200 from the Road Construction Department; Rs 1,01,00,000 from the Rural Development Department and Rs 2,07,52,000 from JREDA.