Jaipur, May 22: Serious administrative lapses have surfaced in Rajasthan’s Public Health Engineering Department Rajasthan after officials allegedly initiated drinking water infrastructure works under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Bharatpur district without securing land ownership or resolving local disputes, putting nearly ₹2.5 crore of public expenditure at risk.
The controversy came to light during a meeting of the PHED Finance Committee (FC), where officials were questioned over incomplete water supply schemes affecting nine villages in Bharatpur district.
According to departmental records, works were sanctioned and construction activities initiated despite the absence of clear land availability, encroachment removal, and local administrative clearances.
As a result, projects worth crores have stalled midway, while infrastructure already constructed now faces the risk of becoming unusable.
₹29.22-Crore Contract Awarded Under Jal Jeevan Mission
The issue relates to a contract awarded during 2021–22 to Dara Engineering and Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. for providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) in 34 villages under PHED City Division Bharatpur.
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The total project cost was approximately ₹29.22 crore (₹2922.16 lakh).
While the contractor reportedly completed work in 25 villages, projects in nine villages came to a standstill due to unresolved land disputes, encroachments, and administrative failures.
₹2.49 Crore Already Spent Before Work Halted
According to official documents, the estimated project value for the nine affected villages was ₹7.70 crore (₹770.88 lakh), out of which nearly ₹2.49 crore (₹249.69 lakh) had already been spent before the work was halted.
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The reasons behind the stalled works reportedly expose major planning and coordination failures within the department.
Villages Facing Encroachment Issues
In the villages of:
- Pirnagar
- Gamri
- Nagla Bilothi
the land allocated for water infrastructure was allegedly under encroachment by local occupants and land mafias. Officials reportedly failed to clear the encroachments even after three years.
Villages Without Available Land
In:
- Suti
- Sahanawali
- Barakhur
- Nagla Lodha
the department allegedly did not possess any land for executing the schemes. Revenue authorities reportedly issued formal certificates confirming non-availability of land.
Villages Facing Public Opposition
In:
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- Ghusiyari
- Khaimra
the projects reportedly could not proceed due to severe local disputes and public opposition.
Officials are now reportedly considering linking these villages to the Chambal-Alwar-Bharatpur Major Project as an alternative arrangement.
Contractor Refuses to Continue Work
The contractor company reportedly informed the department that after waiting for nearly three years without land being made available, it was no longer in a position to continue the stalled works.
The situation has intensified concerns regarding project planning, coordination between departments, and financial accountability.
Finance Committee Pulls Up Officials
In an attempt to resolve the issue, the Chief Engineer reportedly proposed withdrawal of the remaining works related to the nine schemes.
However, the Finance Committee rejected the proposal and questioned why construction activities were initiated in the first place without ensuring land ownership and site availability.
Committee members reportedly observed that infrastructure built using ₹2.49 crore of public money could become entirely useless if land disputes remain unresolved.
The committee took a strict stance and directed that show-cause notices be issued against officials responsible for authorizing work without securing land clearances.
Matter Referred to District Water and Sanitation Mission
The Finance Committee deferred the proposal and directed that the matter be placed before the District Water and Sanitation Mission for urgent intervention.
District authorities have now been instructed to identify alternative land and resolve pending disputes on priority to prevent already-constructed infrastructure from becoming waste.
Questions Over Administrative Accountability
The controversy has raised serious questions regarding governance and implementation under the Jal Jeevan Mission, one of the Centre’s flagship rural drinking water programs.
Observers are now asking:
- How were work orders issued without securing land ownership?
- Why were construction activities allowed despite unresolved encroachments and disputes?
- Was this merely administrative negligence, or an attempt to utilize budget allocations without proper planning?
- Who will be held accountable if crores of public infrastructure become unusable?
The incident has once again placed PHED’s project execution and financial oversight mechanisms under intense scrutiny, with growing demands for a high-level investigation into the matter.