Monstrous garbage piles, uneven leveling, lack of esthetics galore but Municipality remains unmoved
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: There could be no better example of draining public exchequer than the money spent on so-called development work of constructing an open gymnasium near DRDO Hospital in Bhagwati Nagar where the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has shown the Jammuites its expertise in wasting government money to the hilt.
The place which the civic body has chosen for the purpose against the will of locals is marred with so many deficiencies that a resident will never dare to visit the place which is filthy, accident prone due to absence of leveling exercise, and can be termed as the ugliest spot in the vicinity. The arbitrariness of the JMC has reached new heights while dealing with this so-called development project that it ignored the repeated requests by the local Corporator to at least fence the area to stop stray animals from venturing out there. It was nobility of the aforesaid Corporator that out of his pocket he managed to raise the fencing but the other issues still haunt the open gym as the filth in the vicinity is unbearable and the uneven surface is inviting accidents day in and day out.
The equipments which have been placed in the aforesaid gym are eight in number but without laying tiles and mechanism to clean the surface it is likely that the half-hearted initiative will go in vain with JMC inscribing the same with golden ink in its record of realizing development as never before in J&K. What a sham to hoodwink people living along the Bhagwati Nagar-Gole Gujral Road of Ward number 32 of the city.
It is pertinent to mention that the corporators and people had proposed other suitable places for the gym but the adamant Jammu Municipal Corporation paid no heed thus draining resources for the reasons best known to those sitting at helm.
Sanjeev Kumar, a local resident, said that it is the limit that JMC is wasting resources in such an arbitrary manner without consulting even the stakeholders and public representatives. He asserted that the JMC should have ensured that first the place meant for the gym should have been cleaned, leveled and tiles were placed and then only the fitness equipment be installed but the scenario here is disappointing with arbitrariness ruling the roost.
With the proper construction of this open gym in Bhagwati Nagar, the people living in the adjoining localities will get a lot of convenience. People of adjoining localities Puran Nagar, Gol Colony, Bhavani Nagar, DC Colony will be able to exercise and walk here. Due to the casual approach of the Engineering Wing of Jammu Municipal Corporation this could not be possible.
Sucha Singh, Corporator of Ward Number 31, rued that JMC officials have not taken him into confidence while executing the work on the aforesaid gym. He said that he had promised the people that along with laying of tiles the open gym would be set up with steel or iron fencing but the same is missing. “I spent nearly Rs 17,000 from my pocket and got the iron fencing done to avoid any untoward incident and also executed other works”, the Corporator said, adding that JMC’s unprofessional approach in the matter is uncalled for and still there is time to mend ways and do the needful in ensuring proper facilities in the aforesaid gym.