The disturbing saga of incomplete public infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir once again exposes how public money continues to be locked in concrete shells that neither serve citizens nor strengthen governance. The revelations regarding stalled projects such as the Mini Secretariat in Akhnoor and the Revenue Complex in Bhaderwah are not isolated administrative failures. Political announcements override practical necessity, and project execution rarely aligns with long-term governance needs. The end result is the blatant wastage of public money. Crores of rupees have been spent on buildings that remain incomplete, unused, or irrelevant by the time they are ready. The Akhnoor Mini Secretariat, started in 2012, is perhaps the most glaring example. Even after spending more than Rs 4 crore, the building remains non-functional, with authorities now citing fresh funding requirements. Asking for revised DPRs after more than a decade of work does not inspire confidence.
The situation is even worse in the case of projects like the Narang Tourist Hut in Narang, where construction reportedly made significant progress before being halted due to land ownership disputes and forest jurisdiction issues. Starting Government construction on disputed or forest land without complete verification is not merely negligence-it is administrative irresponsibility. In a digital era where satellite mapping, land digitisation, and online revenue records exist, such lapses are unacceptable. Things should get sorted out as early as possible.
More worrying is the political pattern underlying these failures. There is a growing perception that large infrastructure projects are often announced with great fanfare in constituencies represented by heavyweight ministers. However, once political power shifts, the urgency to complete those projects evaporates. The result is a landscape dotted with abandoned or semi-complete structures-monuments to political ego rather than public service. Need-based infrastructure rarely suffers such a fate. Hospitals, essential administrative offices, or critical public utilities are generally completed because they address immediate and unavoidable public needs.
Across Jammu, there are visible reminders of this flawed model. Facilities like Jammu Haat and the Smart City Bus Stand Jammu highlight how even completed infrastructure sometimes remains underutilised due to poor planning, delayed operational decisions, or shifting administrative priorities. Similarly, the decade-old under-construction Legislative Complex Jammu continues to chase deadlines, with October 2027 now projected as the latest target. Repeated deadline extensions erode public trust and inflate project costs through escalation and maintenance expenditure on unused structures.
Another dimension that cannot be ignored is changing relevance. The concept of Mini Secretariats may have held administrative significance a decade ago. Today, with increasing digitisation, e-office systems, and online citizen service delivery, the need for multiple large physical administrative complexes has reduced significantly. Government functioning is gradually becoming paperless and decentralised. Continuing to push outdated infrastructure models without reassessing current needs reflects a lack of policy adaptability. Equally important is fixing accountability. Has any officer ever faced consequences for starting projects on disputed land? Has any department been penalised for losing financial records during disasters without proper backups? The absence of accountability has normalised inefficiency. Until individual responsibility is fixed, systemic reform will remain cosmetic.
Practically, a realistic course correction is urgently required. Instead of mechanically completing outdated projects for the sake of formality, the Government must conduct a functional audit. If original objectives no longer hold relevance, these buildings should be repurposed-converted into public service centres, skill development hubs, digital service facilities, or offices for departments operating from rented accommodations. Letting incomplete infrastructure decay is not just financial waste-it is administrative failure.
The larger lesson is clear. The cycle of announcement, ceremonial foundation laying, partial construction, and eventual abandonment must end. Every project must pass three basic tests before approval: need validation, land clearance verification, and assured funding availability until completion. Without these safeguards, new projects will only add to the growing list of stalled assets. Public money is not an abstract figure in budget documents-it represents taxpayer sacrifice and developmental opportunity.
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