Shimla: A water storage tank in Kasauli constituency of Solan district has triggered questions over duplication of government schemes after both the Jal Shakti Department and a JICA project reportedly claimed credit for its construction. Taking note of the issue, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has ordered an inquiry.
The matter was raised during Question Hour in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly by Kasauli Congress MLA Vinod Sultanpuri. He told the House that there is only one water storage tank in the concerned area of Kotbeja and Devti panchayats, but the same tank is being claimed as having been constructed under both the Jal Shakti Department and the JICA project.
Sultanpuri sought clarification from the government and demanded an investigation to establish the source of funding and the agency responsible for construction of the tank.
Responding to the issue, Chief Minister Sukhu said that in some cases, the agency executing a project may be different from the department or scheme providing the funds. He said the government would verify the records to ascertain the facts behind the construction and funding of the tank.
The Chief Minister made it clear that if the inquiry establishes irregularities or double funding for the same work, strict action would be taken against those responsible.
The issue has raised concerns over coordination and monitoring among departments and development schemes, particularly where multiple agencies are involved in implementing rural water infrastructure.
The Assembly discussion has also brought renewed attention to the need for proper documentation and monitoring of government-funded projects so that the same work is not claimed under different schemes. The inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister is expected to establish whether there was merely a difference in the executing and funding agencies or whether any financial irregularity took place.
