*Many heads likely to roll for putting burden on exchequer
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 25: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that cost of under-construction new Legislature Complex in winter capital city has escalated by Rs 88 crore despite regular funding to the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation Limited ever since the start of work on the project. Perturbed over whopping and unjustifiable escalation, the Government has initiated the exercise to fix the responsibility as it would be very difficult to meet the additional cost and ensure completion of project within stipulated time-frame.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the project worth Rs 104 crore was approved for funding by the 13th Finance Commission and in the year 2010 its foundation stone was laid with the announcement that project would become reality before the completion of 13th Finance Commission award period on March 31, 2015.
However, start of work on the project got delayed because of varied reasons particularly due to slow progress on shifting of utilities and it picked up momentum only in middle of 2012 when cumbersome free area was completely handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) Limited. Thereafter, the work remained suspended for a brief period in the month of December 2012 when portion of building collapsed due to heavy monsoon.
The Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, which is closely monitoring the progress on the complex, never allowed financial constraints to create hurdles in carrying out work on the complex and ensured regular flow of funds to the JKPCC on furnishing of Utilization Certificates of previous installments, sources said.
Shockingly, the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation Limited authorities have submitted a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) mentioning that project would now be completed at a cost of Rs 192 crore instead of earlier cost of Rs 104 crore. However, they have failed to give any plausible reason for such a whopping hike in the project cost.
Though the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs had constituted a committee to look into the reasons for the cost escalation of the project some months back but the committee could not submit report because of transfer of officers, who were members of this panel. Thereafter, a new committee was formulated with experts in the field as its members.
“Law Minister called the members of this committee two days back and sought to know the progress to ascertain the reasons behind escalation of the project cost. However, nothing concrete could emerge”, sources said, adding “now the Law Minister has asked the expert members of the committee to submit their objections to the cost escalation by July 7, 2015 so that further necessary action is initiated”.
The comments/objections of the technical experts would then be conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited through Commissioner Secretary, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs with the direction to seek explanation from the consultancy firm, which was hired by the JKPCC for this project, sources informed.
In response to a question, sources said that Government doesn’t want to explore the options for additional funds for this project before going into the reasons behind unjustifiable cost escalation and fix the responsibility as ever since the start of work on the project there was regular funding to the JKPCC.
“During this exercise, many heads are likely to roll for putting unnecessary burden on the State exchequer”, sources said while disclosing that till date Rs 52 crores have been expended on the project, which is scheduled to be completed by ending 2016.
Responding to further question, they disclosed that since 13th Finance Commission award period has already ended on March 31, 2015, the Government would have to arrange remaining Rs 52 crore in order to meet the original cost of the project and then additional Rs 88 crore, which has been projected in the revised Detailed Project Report by the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation Limited.
“Arranging Rs 140 crore to ensure completion of project within stipulated time-frame would be a daunting task for the Government keeping in view resource constraints”, they said, adding “though the State Government has approached the Union Government for revalidation of remaining funds of 13th Finance Commission but nobody knows whether this request would be conceded or not”.
They further said that any delay in making available Rs 140 crore would hang the fate of the Legislature Complex like other projects in Jammu.
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