If you thought VIPs in India could stomp their way through the bureaucratic maze and get things done at the drop of a hat think again. In the department of drinking water and sanitation of the rural development ministry, 43 references (read complaints) from VIP’s including Orissa chief minister Navin Patnaik, union minister of state for commerce and industries Jyotiraditya Scindia, minister of water resources Pawan Bansal and minster of child and women development Krisna Tirath among others are pending, some from 2009 without the department bothering to acknowledge them.

And the complaints vary from lack of hand pumps in Sahjahanpur in UP to slow implementation of water sanitation scheme in Chambal in Rajasthan to misuse of funds in Shahpur block in thane. Usually the department receiving complaints from VIPs have to file a reply within 15 days of receiving the complaints.

While minster of child and women development Krisna Tirath has written about extending basic facilities in the Lal-Ddora area of Kanjhwala in north Delhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia has complained about misuse of funds in Ghati villages in Gwalior. Apart from minister and chief ministers there are several complaints from member of parliaments that are yet to be heard. Dr Sanjay Singh, MP from Sultanpur has written to the department about problem of drinking water supply in his constituency. Suresh Kashinath Tawre, another MP from Maharashtra has complained about the misuse of funds in schemes relating to village Musai in thane district.

“The complaints received are forwarded to the concerned states and once we get replies from the states, we send it across to the VIPs. However in case of these 43 complaints, the states have not replied to us,” said a official of the rural development ministry.

The ministry has sent reminder to states to reply to the complaints immediately and would take it up during states secretaries (in charge of rural drinking water and sanitation) meeting on July 22.