Debris lying scattered in areas where work stands completed
No new specific time-frame fixed for completion of project
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 13: National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCCL), a Government of India Enterprise, has failed to meet the deadline for up-gradation of Maulana Azad Stadium Jammu under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP). Moreover, no new specific time-frame has been fixed for completion of the project either by the executing agency or Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council.
The project titled Renovation, Up-gradation and Development of Sports Facilities at Maulana Azad Stadium, Jammu was sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Package at a cost of Rs 42.17 crore in order to provide improved facilities to the sportspersons.
The project was assigned to National Projects Construction Corporation Limited, a Government of India Enterprise, which has further allotted the same to M/s S K Integrated Consultants, New Delhi. Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council is the Nodal Agency to supervise the progress on this project of much importance for the sportspersons.
On March 8, 2017, the Union Minister for Youth Services and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had informed the Lok Sabha that renovation and up-gradation of MA Stadium Jammu would be completed during 2017-18 financial year.
However, this deadline could not be met by National Projects Construction Corporation Limited and keeping in view the dilly-dallying approach in the execution of the project March 2019 was fixed as new date of completion of the project, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
The work on the project picked up momentum only after imposition of Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir in June last year and thereafter the progress of the project was reviewed in numerous meetings after regular interval, they said, adding “in each and every meeting it was assured by the representatives of the NPCCL and M/s S K Integrated Consultants, New Delhi that new deadline would be met at any cost”.
On November 12, 2018, Advisor to Governor K Vijay Kumar visited MA Stadium to take a review of the ongoing renovation and up-gradation works and development of sports facilities being undertaken under PMDP.
The Advisor, who was accompanied by Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma, Secretary Sports Council Dr Naseem Javaid Chowdhary, officers from NPCCL and Youth Services and Sports Department, was assured that work will be completed by March 2019.
The officers of NPCCL even gave a detailed presentation of various activities like the main pavilion extension and up-gradation to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) norms, up-gradation of seating area, installation of chairs, provision of public toilets, food plaza, flood-lights for stadium, cricket ground with natural surface, practice pitch and proper drainage system.
“No stone should be left unturned by the executing agency to complete the project within the fixed time-frame”, the Advisor had told the NPCCL and M/s S K Integrated Consultants, New Delhi in the presence of officers of the State Government.
However, all the assurances given by NPCCL and M/s S K Integrated Consultants have fallen flat as they have missed the March 2019 deadline for completion of project in all respects. This EXCELSIOR Correspondent visited MA Stadium today and noticed lot of pending work and unattended debris even in those areas where work stands completed.
“Even after missing of deadline no new time-frame has been fixed for NPCCL and M/s S K Integrated Consultants for the completion of left over work”, sources said, adding “the delay in completion of project has already led to strong resentment among the sportspersons, who have remained deprived of facility for quite long time”.
When contacted, Secretary, J&K State Sports Council Dr Naseem Javaid Chowdhary said, “April 2019 not March 2019 was the deadline for the completion of the project”. He further said, “the work suffered a lot due to rainfall during winter and now all out efforts are being made to ensure completion of project as early as possible”.
He, however, failed to give any specific time-frame for completion of work and said, “even if the executing agency completes the work one or two months beyond the deadline that would not be matter of serious concern”.
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