Streetlight Woes in Ward 73 Raise Questions on Accountability
RC Sharma Chanakya
Jammu, Sep 01: In a bid to provide swift grievance redressal in the wake of recent flash floods in the city, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) issued a list of designated officers across various departments, complete with mobile numbers. The move was aimed at enabling flood-affected residents to directly contact responsible officials for urgent issues such as infrastructure damage, including non-functional street lighting in waterlogged areas.
Among the list, six officers were deputed specifically for streetlight maintenance, including one Executive Engineer and three Assistant Engineers, with clearly defined jurisdictions across JMC’s 75 wards. Executive Engineer Simerpal Singh (Electric) has been tasked with overseeing all wards within the municipal limits. The three Assistant Engineers include, Deepak Raj Bhat – in charge of Wards 51 to 75; Rajan Gupta – overseeing Wards 26 to 50; and Ravi Karlopia – responsible for Wards 1 to 25
Additionally, Darshan Kumar and Victor Bhatti have been assigned to Wards 1-38 and Wards 39-75 respectively to support maintenance and public grievance handling.
Citizen’s Attempt to Raise Complaint Goes Unheard:
Despite the JMC’s commendable move on paper, the execution appears questionable. As a responsible citizen of Ward No. 73 (Bhour Camp) and a senior journalist, I attempted to report a pressing issue of non-functional street lights in my locality near Government Girls High School and Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Bhour Camp W. No 1.
On Monday evening, I made two attempts to reach Executive Engineer Simerpal Singh at 8:56 PM and 9:30 PM, but both calls went unanswered. Believing he may have been preoccupied, I tried again (second call) after 34 minutes of the first call, only to be met with silence once more.
At 8:59 PM, I contacted Assistant Engineer Deepak Raj Bhat, who is directly responsible for my ward. Though he did not answer immediately, he called back twice shortly thereafter. Due to network or timing issues, I missed both calls. Upon reconnecting, I was able to brief him on the situation. He listened attentively and noted the location of the faulty streetlights.
A Call for Accountability – Not Just Names on Paper:
While the Assistant Engineer’s prompt return call was appreciated, the lack of response from the senior-most official, the Executive Engineer, raises legitimate concerns about the seriousness with which such public-facing responsibilities are treated.
I urge the JMC Commissioner to not merely publish contact lists as a symbolic gesture but to ensure those listed are actively responsive and accountable. The true measure of public service lies not in the press release but in the timely response to citizen grievances, especially during emergencies.
As of 10:45 PM, there was no callback or acknowledgment from Executive Engineer Simerpal Singh, leaving residents in the dark-both figuratively and literally.
The administration must take note: Public confidence is not earned by announcements, but by action. Until officials are held accountable for communication lapses and response delays, such initiatives risk being reduced to eyewash.
