Waseem Ahmed
Srinagar, Jan 3: Even after missing several deadlines, Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Zainakote area of Srinagar is still incomplete.
Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board (JKHB), the executing agency, blames the time taken in authorization for the delay in the project. “The bearing capacity of the soil on which the College is being constructed is very low and we had to shift from load bearing structure to Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structure,” said JKHB General Manager, Aftab Pandit.
“It took us several years to approve the RCC type of structure as the administrative approval for the project was for load bearing structure. That was the reason for the delay in the project,” he said. The JKHB General Manager said since the RCC structure is very expensive as compared to the load bearing one, so the costs were also revised.
The construction of the ITI Zainakote on city outskirts was approved under a centrally sponsored scheme in 2009 and its foundation stone was laid by the then Minister RS Chib but despite missing several deadlines, the institute building is still incomplete. The ITI at Zainakote campus was approved to decrease the congestion in present Industrial Training Institute at Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan in Srinagar.
The ITI Principal Muhammad Ashraf said the idea was to shift some of the departments from Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan campus to Zainakote campus in order to overcome the over-crowdedness. “There are 34 courses that we offer at Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan campus and this campus is spread over just 12 kanals of land. So, that is why the plan was to shift some departments to the Zainakote campus,” he said
On being asked about the delay in completion of the project, the ITI Principal blamed 2010 unrest in Valley and 2014 floods. “The project was delayed as the construction work was stopped at the time of 2010 unrest and the building was also destroyed in 2014 floods,” he said.
Meanwhile, the locals of Zainakote complained that work of ITI building is underway at snail’s pace. “More than eight years have passed but the ITI is still incomplete. They are not doing their work properly,” Muzamil Ahmad, a resident, said.
However, the JKHB General Manager said that 95 percent of the work is complete and expressed hope that the work would be completed in March this year.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
