Despite a series of alleged irregularities and serious lapses in certain projects, the Uttarakhand government gave its go-ahead for the Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s remaining urban sector programme in major cities.
Chief Secretary (CS) Subhash Kumar presided over the fifth state-level committee meet of the ADB's Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Investment Programme at the Secretariat, during the weekend. Preparations were made in the meeting to review tranche 4 of ADB assistance.
Kumar gave directions to form a steering committee for successful implementation of the program. The committee would meet once every three months to suggest remedies to various problems. It was stated during the meeting that 12 projects worth Rs 237.73 crore are underway in Haridwar, Nainital and Dehradun.
As a part of this, work on water distribution network in Dehradun; installation of gravity water main to be set up from Bindal to Dilaram; modernisation of pump houses and making available mobile and in situ generators; establishing a 68 MLD sewerage treatment plant in Dehradun; laying a sewer line in Kargi area; construction of tube wells in Nainital; making available new water tanks and construction of clean water reservoirs would be conducted.
Kumar was told under Tranche 2, projects worth Rs 288.47 crore were being carried out in Dehradun, Ramnagar, Haldwani, Nainital and Rishikesh. Eight projects of drinking water and sewerage were also being carried out. Other projects include cleaning of water tanks and reservoirs; water treatment plant in Dehradun; water supply project in Roorkee and Haldwanil; and establishing a 33-MLD sewerage treatment plant, as also chambers and valves in Nainital and improvement of water facilities in Ram Nagar.
Among those present at the meeting were Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma, Principal Secretary S Ramaswamy, Secretary D S Gabriyal, Additional Secretary P S Jangpangi and C V Ravishanker.
An inquiry report of the state planning commission had earlier found widespread alleged irregularities and serious lapses in the Rs 183 crore ADB-sponsored sewer lines project in the hill resort of Mussoorie and Dehradun. However, the government took no action on the report.
