15 water ATM dry in Tourist resort Kullu : Minister

Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that all the Water ATM  15 ATMs setup under Union Government flagship program AMRUT Mission are dry in the tourist destination and Municipal Council Kullu as they were not working from the last five years. Replying to a query raised by Congress member of Assembly Kullu Sunder Thakur today Members said that the Government did not include the clause of maintaining these water ATMs. He said that there were  28 projects amounting to Rs. 66.08 Cr. executed under AMRUT Mission in Municipal Council Kullu. He said that 15 water ATMs were set up under the project. These ATMs were put in use and an income of Rs. 3,002/- was generated. These ATMs are not in use after the imposition of COVID-19 lockdown. Efforts are being made to revive them and they would be made operational soon. The minister said that now urban civic bodies would also include the clause of repair and maintenance in the new agreement so that company installing these ATMs could be lookafter it for nex five years. Earlier raising the query Mr Thakur said that most of these water ATMs were installed in prime locations an none of them are functiona. He said that it was a sheer waste of public money as the government did not rope in the installing company to maintain them.