*Release of balance funds to depend on report of teams
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 2: In order to analyze the actual ground situation before release of balance funds, the Governor has ordered physical verification of works executed after the devastating floods of September 2014 by constituting different teams, which have been told explicitly to complete the task within a period of two weeks.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the physical verification has been ordered only of the works executed in the irrigation and flood control sector, which bore the maximum brunt during the devastating floods of September 2014.
The restoration and strengthening works in this sector were given priority following the worst ever natural calamity of September 2014 so as to ensure that during future floods there would not be major breaches of the embankments of the rivers, nullahs and other water bodies and subsequent threat to the public property.
Recently, the Governor N N Vohra found it appropriate to get physical verification conducted of all those works in the irrigation and flood control sector, which were carried out under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) following September 2014 to ascertain the actual ground situation, sources said.
Stating that there are several objectives of such verification, sources said, “this exercise would help the Government in ascertaining the status of works actually carried out on the ground and the quality of material used in such works”. Moreover, during physical verification the Government will come to know whether works executed after September 2014 sustained the rainfall and flash floods during the rainy season of 2015. More significantly, the Government wants to ascertain whether there was any duplicity of works being carried out under SDRF or executed under other schemes.
They disclosed that Government has selected four districts of Kashmir valley and two of Jammu region which are having highest liability. These districts are Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag, Kulgam, Jammu and Samba.
A team headed by Sheikh Shavaiz, Deputy Director and comprising of Aadil Hussain Mir and Ehsanul Haq (both SAs) would conduct physical verification in Baramulla and Srinagar districts while as verification in respect of Anantnag and Kulgam districts has been entrusted to team comprising Mohammad Yousaf, Deputy Director and Aashiq Hussain (SA). In respect of Jammu and Samba districts, the physical verification task has been extended to Rajeev Bhushan, Deputy Director and Chanchal Sharma, AD (PA&PM).
These inspecting teams would work under the overall supervision of B B Vyas, Financial Commissioner, Planning and Development Department and submit a factual report within a period of two weeks. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been explicitly told to extend all possible assistance to the inspecting teams.
It would be only on the basis of report of these teams that balance funds would be released, sources said while disclosing that the teams have also furnished the list of works to be inspected by them.
As far as Jammu district is concerned, the team will inspect 31 works which include restoration of embankment near the 4th Tawi Bridge and the areas falling along Nikki and Baddi Tawi, restoration of flood protection work of extensive damaged by way of erosion of right side of River Tawi near Hari Singh Park, flood protection works along the banks of river Tawi near Sidhra Bridge etc.
About Samba district, sources said that the team will inspect restoration works along major rivers/nullahs and irrigation tube wells/channels. About Srinagar district, they said that team will inspect flood protection works along River Jhelum and other water bodies, which suffered breaches during the floods of September 2014 and subsequently caused havoc.
They disclosed that in Jammu district, the projected cost of restoration works in flood control sector was Rs 2514 lakh and the actual work done is to the tune of Rs 1296.21 lakh. However, an amount of only Rs 237.55 lakh has been released. The balance funds to the tune of Rs 1058.66 lakh would be released only on the basis of the reports received from the inspecting teams.
As far as Samba district is concerned, the projected cost of works was Rs 18.25 lakh but funds to the tune of only Rs 3.57 lakh have been released and the balance funds of Rs 14.68 lakh would be released only after physical verification of works.
Sources informed that 20 works each would be inspected in Anantnag and Kulgam districts. In Anantnag district, the projected cost of flood restoration works was Rs 388.89 lakh and actual work done is to the tune of Rs 19.80 lakh and an amount of Rs 369.09 lakh is still required for completion of works.
About Kulgam district, they said that against projected cost of Rs 116.83 lakh, Rs 9.11 lakh worth works have been carried out while as an amount of Rs 107.72 lakh would be required for completion of works.
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