Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 18: Seeking allocation of required funds for maintenance of roads developed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Union Ministry of Rural Development has flashed fresh reminder to the Jammu and Kashmir Government for formulation of State Rural Roads Maintenance Policy on priority basis.
“The State Government has not released adequate funds to the State Rural Road Development Agency (SRRDA) for meeting the maintenance requirements of PMGSY roads,” said a fresh communiqué by the Secretary Union Ministry of Rural Development to the Chief Secretary of J&K, Mohd Iqbal Khandey.
Against the required maintenance funds of Rs 15.25 crores since 2012-13, the State Government till date released only Rs 6.94 crores to the SRRDA, which spent only Rs 2.72 crores out of this amount, sources told the Excelsior while quoting official data of last three financial years.
Pertinent to mention that all PMGSY roads are covered by a five-year maintenance contract, to be entered along with the construction contract with the same contractor, as per the Standard Budding Document (SBD). Maintenance funds to service the contract are budgeted by the State Government and placed at the disposal of SRRDA in a separate maintenance fund account. On expiry of this 5-year post construction maintenance, the PMGSY roads are to be placed under Zonal Maintenance Contract consisting of five year maintenance including renewal as per cycle.
According to the sources, SRRDA spent only 17.84 percent of the total funds required for maintenance of PMGSY roads in Jammu and Kashmir during the last three financial years.
While elaborating, sources said that during the financial year 2014-15, Rs 5.47 crores were required for Maintenance Fund whereas the State Government released Rs 1.69 crores only to SRRDA, which spent Rs 1.34 crores in this period. Similarly, in the year 2013-14, the State Government released only Rs 1.04 crores to SRRDA against the requirement of Rs 2.90 crores while Rs 0.93 crores only were spent by the Agency. In the year 2012-13, Rs 4.21 crores were released against the requirement of Rs 6.88 crores and the SRRDA spent only Rs 0.45 crores.
To ensure that road assets continue to provide local community connectivity to socio economic services, there is need for the State Government to release adequate funds to SRRDA towards maintenance of these roads as well as the capacity of SRRDA to effectively utilize such funds, the communiqué explained.
“In order to protect the huge Central investment in rural roads and to create enabling provisions for sustained funding for maintenance of rural roads, the State needs to formulate Rural Road Maintenance Policy on a priority basis, the official communiqué reminded.
Putting in place institutional measures to ensure systematic maintenance management of rural roads in the States, the National Rural Roads Development Agency (NRRDA) in partnership with International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank, has finalized a Model Policy Framework along with a Guidance Note in April last year after sharing the same with the State Government.
Since then, sources said, the Union Ministry dashed several communiqués and reminders to the Chief Secretary of J&K stressing the need for early formulation of the policy at various forums. However, till date there has been no progress on the policy formulation thus clearly indicating non-serious attitude of the State Government towards proper maintenance of the assets created for rural people under PMGSY, sources added.
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