Least response to tenders playing spoilsport
Meeting deadlines fixed by Union Ministry a daunting task
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 9: The administration is facing difficulties in execution of majority of the projects sanctioned under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for the Leh town due to poor response from the contractors. Due to this, there are apprehensions about completion of these works within the time-frame fixed by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Under AMRUT, a Centrally Sponsored Flagship Scheme, which was launched in June 2015, five towns/cities of the State namely Jammu, Srinagar, Anantnag, Leh and Kargil have been selected for infrastructure creation as per the guidelines of the Mission. The thrust areas and components under the Mission are water supply, sewerage and septage, storm water drainage, urban transport and green spaces and parks etc.
Several projects under the Mission were prioritized for completion between 2017 and 2020 and accordingly sufficient funds were released to the State for execution of the same. However, the administration is facing difficulties in the execution of projects in the Leh town due to poor response from the contractors, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
With regard to certain projects, no contractor could be selected for execution despite repeated tenders while as in respect of other projects the selected contractors/companies are not coming forward for start of work on ground, sources informed.
Giving details, they said that after repeated tenders a company was selected for supply of two sucker and jetting machines but the supply has not been made till date as such no headway could be made on sewerage and septage component of AMRUT so far.
“The tendering process for development of multi-tier parking (spill over of 2015-16 State Annual Action Plan Project) is still going on because of poor response from the contractors”, sources informed, adding “the fate of project relating to construction of foot over bridge near SNM Hospital is also hanging in balance”.
For the foot over bridge, a company was selected but it has yet not come forward to start the work on ground despite repeated communications from the administration, sources further informed.
“Little headway has been made on projects relating to development of existing parks and those which fall in the category of spill over of 2015-16 SAAP Project besides creation of green space at Manglaybagh”, they said.
According to the sources, progress has been made only on project relating to traffic management in the town by creating median divider and mini parking system. “Two projects-strengthening of storm water drainage system of Leh and creation of bi-cycle tracks have, however, been dropped from the list prepared earlier”, they disclosed while expressing inability to specify the reasons behind this step.
When contacted, a senior officer of the district administration confirmed that no major headway could be made on the AMRUT projects because of poor response from the contractors. “We are perturbed over the prevailing situation as due to inordinate delay in start of work on the projects meeting deadlines fixed by the Union Ministry would be a daunting task”, he added.
According to the sources, the Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs as well as State Government should find a solution to the problem in executing projects in Leh so that people of this town don’t remain deprived of timely benefit of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
“This is imperative as inordinate delay in start of work would also lead to escalation in the cost of the projects and then meeting the additional cost would become headache for both Union Ministry and State Government”, sources further said.
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