SHAH ALAM, 27 Nov: The State Government has urged the Selangor Umno-BN Assemblyman persuade the Federal Government to provide adequate provisions to the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) to overcome the flooding problem in the state.
Local Government, Research and Development Committee Exco member, Ronnie Liu said that JPS is now operating with a lack of funds by only receiving an allocation of not more than RM1 million a year from the Federal Government.
As a result, JPS is facing difficulty in carrying out its responsibility to properly maintain the irrigation and drainage systems in the state.
“It is understood that in 2009, JPS had only received a total of RM8 million from the federal government for maintenance work, while for other years, JPS only received an allocation of not more than RM1 million.
“Recognising that fact, the State Government has allocated JPS funds totaling between RM5 to RM8 million a year. JPS also asked for RM1.2 billion to solve the flood problem in the Klang from the federal government, but until now the funds have still not arrived,” he said.
Ronnie said this when answering questions by Lee Kim Sin (PKR-Kajang) during the Committee Stage of the 2013 Budget debate at the Selangor State Assembly today.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR-Bukit Antarabangsa) urged JPS to take proactive steps in submitting a list of priorities to the State Government during the Executive Council Meeting (MTES) in implementing flood mitigation programmes.
He said that it was to enable the State Government to examine the urgent need for the implementation of the programme.
“If action is not taken, it will burden the State Government and the Local Authorities (PBT) who have to increasingly deal with frequent flooding that has been occurring in the state,” he said.