UP minister faces protests in Mahoba over broken roads dug for Har Ghar Jal project

Uttar Pradesh Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh faced protests during his visit to Mahoba district, with BJP MLA Brajbhushan Rajput raising concerns over the broken roads that had been dug up for the Har Ghar Jal project.

Uttar Pradesh Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh faced protests during his visit to Mahoba district, with BJP MLA Brajbhushan Rajput raising concerns over the broken roads that had been dug up for the Har Ghar Jal project. In a PTI video, Singh and Rajput were seen discussing the matter. Speaking to PTI from Mahoba, Rajput said, ''Under the Har Ghar Jal Yojana, roads have been dug to lay pipelines. People are facing great difficulties in moving around. The problem of broken roads exists in the entire district.'' He added that a minor portion of the roads had been repaired, but they were again damaged during the rains. ''The people are agitated, as it is clearly visible in the videos, which are circulating on social media. The problem of broken roads exists throughout the district,'' Rajput said. ''This is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am not bothered about being an MLA, but I will fight for the honour of the people,'' Rajput added. In the video, Singh could be heard telling Rajput, ''You tell me one village, and I am ready to go there. Tell me the name of the village that is not getting water, I will go there, leaving this programme.'' The minister also added that he could visit 4-5 villages, inspect the situation, and take immediate action, including suspending officials if necessary. Rajput replied that about 40 villages were facing the issue of dug-up roads and inadequate water supply. He also emphasised the urgency of addressing the concerns of the residents. District Magistrate of Mahoba, Gazal Bharadwaj, later responded to the issue, stating that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, five projects are underway in Mahoba district. According to Bharadwaj, work has been completed in 344 villages, with 3,205 km of pipeline laid against a target of 3,224 km. She added that 1,12,032 household connections have been provided as part of the initiative. Bharadwaj further explained that during the laying of pipelines, 1,131 km of roads were damaged, of which 1,118 km have already been restored. She mentioned that in the Charkhari assembly constituency, 717 km of CC roads were damaged during the pipeline work, but 706 km of those roads have been reconstructed. The remaining 12 km of roads are expected to be completed soon. ''The nodal agency has been instructed to ensure that the work for the remaining 12 km is completed at the earliest,'' the District Magistrate said. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, took a jibe at the situation and wrote, ''Breaking News: Minister held hostage! News: BJP MLA Brijbhushan Rajput held Minister Swatantra Dev Singh hostage over the dilapidated condition of roads in the area, the drinking water crisis in villages, and the incomplete work of the Jal Jeevan Mission.'' He added, ''Opinion: We had already said that not only are the 'double engines' of the BJP government colliding, but even the individual compartments are clashing. Whether it's BJP ministers or MLAs, they are all busy making money and grabbing land; none of them are working for the people or development. That's why, to escape public anger, they are blaming each other.'' Yadav further posted, ''A BJP MLA holding his own BJP government's minister hostage shows that BJP MLAs are now facing defeat in the next elections. This is just a sample of what is happening across the state. The BJP government has derailed, and it will face consequences in the upcoming polls.''

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