Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmad Rana, today informed the Legislative Assembly that prompt action has been taken and FIRs have been lodged with the concerned authorities in cases involving theft of transformers and allied Public Health Engineering (PHE) equipment.

The Minister was replying to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Legislator Devyani Rana.

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.