*Govt to conduct enquiry, fix respMohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 3: In what could be termed as glaring abuse of power and plunder of State exchequer, an amount of over Rs 7.5 crore has been expended on construction of a road in Kishtwar district, which otherwise doesn’t provide connectivity to any habitation. Taking serious note of unfruitful expenditure, the PDP-BJP Government has decided to get a detailed inquiry conducted into this unwarranted expenditure in order to fix responsibility and take appropriate action against all those involved in the same.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the year 2010, the Roads and Buildings Department on the directions of the then Minister Incharge allotted construction of 3.5 kilometer long road from Singhpora village in Inderwal constituency to the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC).
The work was allotted in order to provide road link to Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel, which was otherwise only a proposal conceived for ensuring round the year road connectivity between Singhpora area in the Inderwal constituency and Kokernag area of the Kashmir valley so that this road link acts as alternate to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Subsequently, the JKPCC started work on Rs 8.68 crore worth project in the month of September 2010 and presently the road is nearing completion. During all these years, the respective R&B Ministers didn’t bother to point out unfruitful expenditure on construction of 3.5 kilometer long road despite being aware of the fact that there was no formal approval to the construction of Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel.
“They acted as mute spectator to plunder of the State’s exchequer for conferring undue benefits upon certain contractors as they were aware of the fact that this road doesn’t provide connectivity to any habitation except for linking the originating point of the proposed tunnel”, sources said, adding “due to unwarranted role of the respective R&B Ministers the unfruitful expenditure reached at Rs 7.5 crore till date”.
Such was the interest of the then R&B Minister in getting work on this road started that all the procedural formalities were completed in shortest possible time while as on the other side fate of several other roads, which connect vast population, was hanging in balance during the past several years, sources said.
The issue of unfruitful expenditure to the tune of Rs 7.5 crore came to the fore today when Minister of State for R&B, Sunil Sharma was chairing a meeting of District Officers of all the departments at Kishtwar.
He questioned justification behind construction of the road at a time when no noticeable headway has been made in the proposed Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel but the JKPCC authorities had no plausible reason and they only informed the Minister that Corporation was formally allotted work by the Chatroo Division of the R&B in the year 2010.
“We have decided to get an enquiry conducted into this unfruitful expenditure”, the MoS R&B said when contacted, adding “within next few days formal orders in this regard would be issued as this road would not serve any purpose till the construction of Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel”.
Questioning justification behind construction of road in anticipation of construction of Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel, he said, “no-doubt access road is required to be built before the start of work on the proposed tunnel but that stage would come only when all the procedural formalities vis-à-vis tunnel are completed”, adding “till the work on the proposed tunnel is started and completed the entire expenditure on construction of this 3.5 kilometer long road would remain unfruitful”.onsibility: MoS R&B
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