People remain deprived of benefits despite huge expenditure
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 6: Started eight to twelve years back with the sole objective of providing healthcare facilities to the people at their doorsteps, the fate of 35 health sector projects is still hanging in balance because of slackness on the part of Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), Housing Board, Police Housing Corporation and Roads and Buildings Department and lack of constant monitoring at the highest level in the Government.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the persistent demand of the people and their elected representatives the construction of a number of health institutions of the level of Sub-District Hospital, Community Health Centre, Accidental Hospital and Trauma Hospital was announced from time to time during the past eight to twelve years.
Besides construction of new health centres even up-gradation of infrastructure of several existing health institutions was also announced during this period. Subsequently, the work was initiated and people of the respective areas were assured of timely completion of projects so as to make health care facilities available either at their door steps or at minimum possible distance.
The construction of these projects was entrusted to Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), J&K Housing Board, J&K Police Housing Corporation and Roads and Buildings Department.
However, 35 health sector projects on which work was started eight to twelve years back have yet not been completed by these executing agencies, sources said, adding due to hanging fate of these projects the people have been deprived of the benefits even after incurring of huge expenditure.
Quoting examples, sources said that work on Sub-District Hospital Chenani in Udhampur district was stated in 2005-06 but work is still in progress despite lapse of over one decade and now it is stated that the project will be completed during the current financial year.
Similar is the fate of Sub-District Hospital Taryath in Rajouri district, the work on which was also started in 2005-06. Only 85% work on some components of the project has been completed so far. The work on PHC Ghar Majoor in Jammu which was also started in 2005-06 is still under progress and it is claimed that project will be completed during the current financial year.
Started in 2010-11, the work on PHC Doori Dagar also in Jammu is yet to be completed by the R&B Department and no specific deadline has still been fixed for completion of the work. Similarly, work on Sub-District Hospital at Nagri-Parole in Kathua district which was started in 2010-11 is still under progress despite lapse of nearly eight years.
Quoting more instances of dilly-dallying approach in execution of work on health sector projects, sources informed that work on Sub-District Hospital Mahore in Reasi district which was started in 2005-06 by JKPCC has yet not been completed.
Similarly, the work on Accidental Hospital at Chowki Chowra in Jammu, which was started in 2010-11 has yet not been completed in all respects and it is being claimed by the Health Department that project will be completed during current financial year.
The work on District Hospital Bandipora, which was started in 2005-06 is still under progress despite lapse of over one decade and now the Health Department is hopeful of completion of project during the current financial year.
Among other projects whose fate is still hanging in balance are SDH Rajpora in Pulwama, SDH Pakherpora in Budgam, IPD Block at District Hospital Pulwama, SDH Kralpora in Kupwara, SDH Kremshore in Budgam and SDH D H Pora Kulgam etc.
Had there been proper and regular monitoring of work on these 35 projects their fate would not have been hanging in balance despite lapse of several years, sources said, adding “allowing inordinate delay in projects which are aimed at providing healthcare facilities to the people is not justified at all and Government should have taken those at the helm of affairs in the executing agencies to task for dilly-dallying approach”.
“Even if there was constraint of resources in the completion of projects the Government should have made available sufficient funds especially when health is being dubbed as priority sector”, sources said.
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