Ram: This is what happened when people work without accountability. Now if you like to hear the story from their side, read the following imaginary report: REPORT NO GMC 09878 Dated Octover 26th 2007. "On 26th october 2007, I received a report of a leaky pipe in such and such place. I immediately reported the matter to my supervisor Mr Das who advised me to proceed to the site along with the maintenence crew. Since it was a very important public spot, I also taook along with me four other assistants. We were very much hampered due to our old equipment. It waws also a very hot day. However we worked very dilligently and and were able to spot the exact location of the leak in the pipe. We then called the Materials Department and requisitioned the new plug. We had to get a signature from our highher authority Mr Chakravarty for the plug. However since Mr Chakravarty was on vacation, we had to wait and get the signature from Mr Dasgupta. By that time, it was alomsot 3 O clock. The Materail Department reported that they have no stock of 3" Size pipe plug which was on order. In order to save the situiation we tried to put a temporary plug of the pipe by putting some boulders. We left the site at about 4 pm since we are not allowed to work any overtime without prior approval. We will check the situation of the availibility of the pipe plug tomorrow and if necessar we will approach the authority to purchase one from the local market." Signed : D. Kahtoniar, GMC Supervisor ----- Original Message ----- From: Ram Sarangapani To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 10:07 AM Subject: [Assam] The Leak - AT Letter
This is an interesting letter. Interesting, not so much because of a leaky water pipe, wasting millions of gallons (I guess), but more so about the utter, general callousness of public officials at Guwahati. Accountability is, in all probabilities, not even a remote concern. But, what is precious is this: "Being unable to tolerate the extreme heat of the mid-day sun for long, the supervisors left in their two wheelers possibly to report to the higher authorities that work was progressing smoothly. The workmen found the shade of some trees nearby and sat it out for the entire day eating tamul-paan and smoking biris. Towards evening, they covered the gap with a few boulders lying nearby and left, highly satisfied that they had done a good day's job." As Barua (Rajan Barua) would have quipped, I say Hobo diyok and Upai nai :) --Ram Sir, – A water pipe passing along the road by my house burst six months ago spurting water like the mouth of a fire fighter's hose. It continued for the whole night and stopped only by mid-morning the next day possibly because the reservoir situated on the hills at Satpukhuri had emptied itself out! The local unnayan samity had contacted the GMC who had sent a few of their workmen along with some higher officers to plug the leak in the pipe. The two workmen worked, aided by some worn-out equipment, while the six officers observed and supervised. Being unable to tolerate the extreme heat of the mid-day sun for long, the supervisors left in their two wheelers possibly to report to the higher authorities that work was progressing smoothly. The workmen found the shade of some trees nearby and sat it out for the entire day eating tamul-paan and smoking biris. Towards evening, they covered the gap with a few boulders lying nearby and left, highly satisfied that they had done a good day's job. The water from the leak in the pipe continued to flow, not in a cascade this time, but like a stream and continues to this day. The bigwigs pass by the road twice every day, the sirens of the escort car blaring away to glory. He sees this stream but does not notice! The rich pass by and do nothing! The politician passes by and turns a blind eye. Telephone calls to the GMC office bears no result. The question that naturally arises is, "Are we so useless and incompetent that we cannot even plug a minor leak in a water pipe?" One hundred litres per minute, every day, twenty-four hours a day, month in month out! I wonder how much of this good potable water is going down the drain? – Yours etc., AJIT SAIKIA, Kharghuli, Guwahati. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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