Waseem Ahmad
Srinagar, Mar 14: Although six years have passed since the construction work on a Mini-Secretariat at Watergam area of Rafiabad in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district was started but the scarcity of funds has left the project in limbo.
With an estimated cost of Rs 5.56 crores, the project was commissioned in 2012 and the construction work was started subsequently.
An official of R&B department, the executing agency, of the project blamed paucity of funds for the delay in the project. “The project was delayed due to scarcity of funds and the construction work was often stopped as the funds were not released,” he said
Khalid Mehmood, Assistant Executive Engineer, R&B department said the construction work of the building is complete but it is waiting for the finishing works.”About 90 percent of the construction work is almost complete and only finishing touch to the building is pending,” he said
Locals also alleged that Government is showing indifferent attitude towards the project as the construction work is often stopped. “Government is not serious about this project. Six years have passed since the work on the project was started and we are yet to see the complete building,” Bashir Ahmad, a local said
Bashir said the Mini-Secretariat was sanctioned to accommodate all the government departments of the district in a single place and to provide hassle-free governance to the people. “It was supposed to ease the woes of the people and to ensure that people do not have to travel long distances to get their things done,” he said, adding people have to travel long distance for petty issues.
The locals of the area said that the Mini-Secretariat would have saved the time and effort of the people. “It would help us in various ways and we don’t have to visit various departments for our grievances and it will reduce time in redressing our grievances,” a local said.
Meanwhile, R&B officials claimed that the funds for the project had been released now and the tendering for the remained work has been allotted. They expressed hope that the construction work of the building would be completed within three months this year.
However, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Nissar Ahmad Naqash, said that the outer structure of the building is complete and only some inner work is pending.
Asked about the delay in the project, he said the project was stopped due to scarcity of funds. “The Paucity of funds delayed the project. We had already talked to government for the funds and once funds are released, it will be completed. He expressed hope that the Mini-Secretariat would be functional by the end of June this year.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel