Deadline over, Fact Finding Committee fails to submit report on affairs of JKPCC

JKPCC means - Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation

No focus on irregularities pointed out by CAG from time to time
Even numerous directions of House Panel treated as trash
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 30: A Fact Finding Committee constituted by the Government to look into the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited (JKPCC) has failed to meet the deadline for submission of report/recommendations. Moreover, the irregularities pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in the Corporation from time to time have not received due attention till date.
The Government Vide Order No. 1690-GAD dated November 28, 2018 constituted a Fact Finding Committee comprising of four IAS officers to look into the affairs of the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited.
This decision was taken on the basis of the reports that Corporation is awarding contracts on nomination basis and without following transparent tendering procedure, diverting funds from one project to another leading to a large number of incomplete projects, irregularities in appointments at various levels and inefficiency in functioning and huge time and cost overruns of the projects.
The Committee headed by Principal Secretary to the Government, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department and comprising of Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Revenue Department and Managing Director, JKPCC was asked to submit its report/recommendations to the Government by December 26, 2018.
“However, the Fact Finding Committee has failed to meet this deadline for submission of report/recommendations”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “the Committee is still examining the record of the Corporation and no time-frame has been fixed by it for completion of the task aimed at streamlining the functioning of the Corporation, which otherwise has attained notoriety for being corruption-ridden body”.
The functioning of JKPCC, a wholly owned State Government company established for the execution of civil construction works for State and Central Governments and Public Sector Undertakings, never remained transparent, which is evident from the fact that Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India from time to time pointed out glaring irregularities in the Corporation.
Stating that the terms of references of the Fact Finding Committee were already dealt with by the CAG during the audit from time to time, sources disclosed that in its report for the year ended March 31, 2011, the CAG had pointed out that company, while sub-contracting the works, instead of following a transparent and competitive tendering process, had allotted most of the works on the nomination basis.
“In this way the company is ignoring the procedure prescribed in the State Financial Code as well as the guidelines of the Vigilance Commission with regard to allotment of contracts, which provide for transparent tendering process”, the CAG had mentioned in the report.
Similarly, in its report for the year ended March 2012 the CAG had pointed out diversion of funds from one project to another merely on the request of the officers incharge of the projects. Moreover, it had mentioned that there was tendency of execution of works without obtaining approval of the cost offers, sources informed.
Besides putting the JKPCC in the dock for time and cost overrun of the projects, the CAG had also pointed out execution of works in anticipation of receipt of funds. It had also revealed funds mismanagement in the Corporation by those who remained at the helm of affairs.
While recommending slew of measures to streamline the functioning of the Corporation, the CAG in its all the reports had laid stress on providing necessary infrastructure to the JKPCC to undertake the activities like architecture, designing, surveyors and estimators etc provided in the Memorandum of Association of the company.
Even Committee on Public Undertakings of the State Legislative Assembly, while dealing with the Audit Paragraphs of the CAG, had laid stress on revamping the Corporation to ensure transparency at all the levels.
However, neither the recommendations of the country’s supreme audit institution nor of the Committee on Public Undertakings were taken seriously by the successive Governments. “Had these recommendations been implemented the functioning of the Corporation would have improved up to large extent till date”, sources said.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here