Jammu, Apr 4 (JKNS): The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday said, the Legislative Assembly that cases have been registered in incidents of theft involving Public Health Engineering (PHE) equipment, with authorities taking prompt action to curb such activities.
The Minister was replying to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Legislator Devyani Rana, as per news agency JKNS.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, the Minister said that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard the public assets and prevent such incidents.
The Minister said that the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department is undertaking extensive water supply infrastructure development under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with 3,253 schemes either under execution or already completed across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
He added that a substantial inventory of pre-existing water supply infrastructure is also operational.
He further stated that given the wide spread and scale of these assets, their safeguarding is being ensured through regular monitoring and deployment of available manpower.
The Minister informed the House that the majority of the schemes are still under execution and remain in the custody of executing agencies until their physical and financial completion, making them responsible for safeguarding the infrastructure during this period.
He also highlighted that the Department is promoting community participation through Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs/Paani Samitis) to foster a sense of ownership at the grassroots level. (JKNS)

