Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 28: Even as a number of Government accommodations under the Estates Department are in shambles because of no repair work since years, crores of rupees from the public exchequer are being spent on renovating a few VIP bungalows, occupied by the Ministers.
According to the official figures, available with the Excelsior, around 10 crore rupees were spent on renovation of only a dozen such VIP accommodations during the tenure of two regimes since 2002.
More ironic is the fact that despite renovation of these accommodations during 2002 to 2008, a big amount was spent again on their beautification in 2009-2015 notwithstanding the occupation of same person. Further, the huge expenditure on these VIP bunglows is much more than the Government ceiling of Rs 18 lakh, fixed for a period of six years, sources added.
VIP-5, Residency Road, occupied by a senior Minister in then PDP-Congress coalition Government and then NC-Congress regime, was renovated during this period by spending an amount of Rs 96.21 lakh, which is enough for building a new bungalow. While Rs 24.50 lakh were spent on this bungalow from 2002 to 2008, an expenditure of Rs 71.71 was made again during 2009-2015 for further renovation of the same accommodation, allotted to the same Valley based politician, who was Minister in the two successive Governments.
Similarly, Rs 74.98 lakh were spent on renovation of 4-A, Special Gandhi Nagar, allotted to a Jammu based leader, who remained Minister in the last two successive Governments. After spending Rs 17.60 lakh on renovation of this accommodation from 2002 to 2008, the Estates Department further renovated the same in 2009-15 by paying a heft amount of Rs 51.41 lakh. At 2-Old Ghulami Bagh accommodation, allotted to another Jammu based politician, Rs 55.73 lakh were spent on renovation during this period.
Notwithstanding the issuance of a Government order in 2009, according to which a ceiling of Rs 18 lakh was fixed for renovation of an Estates Department accommodation during a period of six years, amount more than three-four times of this upper limit was spent on some VIP bunglows, allotted to the Ministers, revealed the official data.
For example, during the period of 2009-2015, Rs 47.08 lakh were spent on VIP-9 Residency Road Jammu, Rs 44.08 lakh on VIP-8 Residency Road Jammu, Rs 54.64 lakh on VIP-7 Residency Road Jammu, Rs 55.16 lakh on VIP-6 Residency Road, Rs 71.71 lakh on VIP-5 Residency Road, Rs 45.51 lakh on VIP-4 Residency Road, Rs 51.31 lakh on VIP-3 Residency Road and Rs 134.14 lakh on VIP-1, Residency Road Jammu.
However, on the other hand, a number of Government accommodations are in shambles because of no repair due to claimed non-availability of sufficient funds with the Estates Department.
Pertinent to mention that the Estates Department in Jammu and Kashmir has total 4498 accommodations in the State and a number of which have been declared unsafe but still inhabited by the allottees. Last week, the OSD to Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and his family members had a narrow escape when ceiling of a Government quarter room, recently alloted to him at Jammu, caved in. Roof of another room of the same accommodation had collapsed a few months earlier when a senior bureaucrat in the State Government was staying there.
When contacted, Director Estates, G N Ittoo admitted that some of the accommodations require immediate repair while several others have been declared unsafe. “We are neither making fresh allotment of these unsafe accommodations nor repairing the same while a project report by the Estates Department for dismantling these quarters and building new ones has been forwarded to the Finance and Planning Departments for the approval”, he explained and added that necessary repair of other quarters was being from done time to time.
On being asked about crores of rupees being spent on VIP bunglows for revamping, the Director said that he was not aware of making expenditures more than Government ceiling and his predecessor during that period could only give a reply on the same.
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