FIRs Lodged in PHE Equipment Theft Cases: Javed Rana | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmad Rana, informed the Legislative Assembly on Saturday that prompt action has been taken in cases of theft involving transformers and allied Public Health Engineering (PHE) equipment, with FIRs lodged with the concerned authorities.

The Minister was responding to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Legislator Devyani Rana. He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting public assets and preventing such incidents.

Rana highlighted that the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department is implementing extensive water supply infrastructure development under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with 3,253 schemes either under execution or already completed across Jammu and Kashmir. He added that a substantial inventory of existing water supply infrastructure is also operational.

Given the widespread scale of these assets, the Minister said safeguarding measures are being enforced through regular monitoring and deployment of available manpower. He noted that most schemes remain under execution and in the custody of executing agencies until their physical and financial completion, making these agencies responsible for protecting the infrastructure during the process.

The Minister also emphasized community participation through Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs/Paani Samitis) to encourage local ownership and ensure proper maintenance of water supply infrastructure at the grassroots level.