PATNA: After a couple of weeks of massive waterlogging crisis in Patna in particular, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, following a high-level review meeting, took action against 45 officials including 11 engineers of BUDCO and others for their failure in tackling the issue.
Besides these officials, sources said that axe may fall soon on some senior officials in next few days as an action plan has already been chalked-out.
Following the four-long meeting on waterlogging that continued till late evening, Nitish also directed officials to initiate strong action against whosoever have been found on wrong-foots whose ‘utter failure’
in duty caused unprecedented waterlogging crisis in Patna.
However no senior officials against whom resentment still prevail among the affected residents in Patna, were penalised.
According to chief secretary Deepak Kumar, the action has been taken against 11 engineers of Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUDCO) including its chief engineer, and six executive engineers and two executive engineers of Patna Municipal Corporation.
The show-cause notices were served to 22 employees, who were posted at different water sumping and pumping houses in Kankerbagh and other localities under Patna Municipal Corporation.
Kumar said that four sanitation inspectors of Kankarbag and two from other localities were also suspended besides 22 other employees. A show cause notice has also been served to the project manager of Namami Gange project manager.
The government has ordered to set up 14 new water pump houses across the city and lay down a wide net of drainages and water-outlets in the next few years. Kumar claimed that Patna would be made waterlogging –free in next three to four years as works on it would start now on war-footing.
He admitted that the drainages were not cleaned properly before rainy season and pump-houses were not functional. The meeting was attended by ministers of four departments and their secretaries including urban development and water resources but no one from any of these departments was penalised.
Meanwhile RJD leader Bhai Birendra termed the action just an eye-wash as no senior official totally responsible for waterlogging was penalised. The next meeting on recent waterlogging with all MLAs of concerned areas and others would be held on October 19.
About 100 localities of Patna had submerged into waist deep waterlogging after a torrential rain from September 27 to 30 and now, its residents are facing epidemic threats of water-borne disease like dengue.