‘Govt can’t pass the buck every time’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 4: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma, former Minister today again exchanged barbs in the Assembly during Question Hour on the issue of damage to Tawi bridge.
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Replying to a question of Sharma, Choudhary said there was no damage to Tawi bridge but only to the approaches.
“Strong bridges are being built under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Instead, the bridges on National Highway were washed away during last Monsoon floods,’’ Choudhary said in response to Sham’s asserting that responsibility has to be fixed for breaches and the Government just can’t pass the buck by saying that they inherited this.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds charge of the Works Department, said the approaches are being strengthened and the Chief Minister has already approved Rs 19 crore.
Sham said the bridge has breached twice and the Government is not looking into the issue. “Why this House is being taken for granted’’? he asked and said whenever he raised the issue, the Government tries to personalize the matter which seems it is not serious on the issue.
Choudhary said that as per the reports of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Chief Engineer Public (R&B) Department Zone, Jammu and Managing Director, JKPCC Limited, no enquiry has been ordered against the Executing Agency responsible for construction of 4th Tawi Bridge.
He stated that the recent floods in Jammu damaged the bridge’s approaches but the bridge itself remained intact.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that as per the inputs furnished by the Managing Director, JKPCC, the 4th Tawi Bridge project was awarded to JKPCC in 2010, with an estimated cost of Rs 93.12 crore. The project was approved and JKPCC floated an e-tender, which got matured.
The Deputy CM added that consequent upon the decision of the Contract Committee and subsequent approval of Chairman JKPCC Limited, the allotment was made to the lowest bidder, M/S S.P Shingla Construction Private Limited, for an amount of Rs 67.088 crore on turnkey basis. He further informed that the said contractor took up the work and completed the bridge in time, which was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister in the year 2013 and thrown open for public traffic.
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