Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: As the row over the suspension of a deputy engineer — for failing to expedite the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city water project — intensified, the officer said years of hard work and personal sacrifice had gone unrecognised, only to end with disciplinary action.The deputy engineer said she routinely worked late into the night, including weekends and holidays, often staying away from her five-year-old daughter and family in the hope of completing the long-awaited project. She said the pressure extracted a high personal cost, and she suffered a miscarriage while she was around 15 weeks pregnant. “I was hoping the city would finally get water. I sacrificed my personal life, family and health for my duties. The highest price I paid was losing my baby. And this is the reward I received,” she said.The suspended engineer claimed she was being punished despite working far beyond her official responsibilities to keep the Rs 2,740-crore scheme moving. “I made repeated visits to Mumbai to correct the errors made by previous officers. I never shirked responsibility. The constant travel, mental stress, workload and lack of rest seriously affected my health. Even then, I never slacked because I believed honest work would be appreciated,” she said.Amid allegations from some MJP officials that the contractor’s shortcomings were being overlooked while govt engineers were being blamed for delays, the suspended officer said senior officers had kept her and other officials in Mumbai for days to secure approvals for the contractor’s claims.MJP member secretary Amgothu Sri Ranga Naik did not respond to requests for comment. BJP minister Atul Save said no unfair action would be taken against anyone and that the matter would be reviewed.
