Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 11: The Government has failed to clear the liability worth over Rs 550 crores of the contractors engaged by the R&B department for various development works executed across Jammu and Kashmir during last over five years.
Official sources told the Excelsior that these liabilities were piled up during last five years and also include the repair works of roads and bridges which were damaged during September 2014 floods in Kashmir and elsewhere. In many cases, some excess road works were executed by various Executive Engineers on the verbal instructions of former Ministers and legislators during PDP-BJP regime in the Jammu and Kashmir. They said majority of these works pertained to macadamization (blacktopping) of the roads in Srinagar and Jammu cities, besides other major towns in various districts across Jammu and Kashmir.
Giving details, the sources in R&B further revealed that out of the total liability of Rs 150 crores in Jammu region, liability worth over Rs 100 crores of macadamization works, just pertained to Jammu region and over Rs 400 crores in Kashmir. The contractors have been staging dharnas, holding protest demonstrations in Jammu and Srinagar for the clearance of their bills worth lakhs and crores, pending in various R&B Divisions across J&K but they received mere assurances from the senior officers.
The higher authorities in the R&B failed to clear their bills. The contractors have been moving from pillar to post but have not received any succour from anyone in the Administration. They alleged that even the political leaders have refused to come out to their support on whose instructions they carried out many works.
Jammu Contractors Association (Registered) alleged that after receiving no proper response from the concerned Executive Engineers, Superintending Engineers and even Chief Engineer R&B, Jammu, they met Lt Governor, GC Murmu on March 2, 2020 as a part of deputation. The Lt Governor assured the deputation that by March ending or in April, 2020, their liabilities would be cleared. But unfortunately even by June 10, 2020 nothing in this regard has been done. The contractors have refused to participate in tender work till their 5 years old bills are cleared by the Government.
General secretary of Jammu Contractors Association, Vinod Kohli said that they have executed works on the directions of the concerned Executive Engineers and have utilized their own money for the same. They have blacktopped many roads during past 3-4 years. They were even told during works by few officers that on the instructions of BJP-PDP MLAs and Ministers they were executing works. They carried out works in good faith as they were doing earlier also during the regime of NC and Congress.
He said contractors have worked on the ground and the Government agencies also conducted physical verification/ inspection of all the works executed. There should not be any problem now to the Government in clearing the bills of the contractors. He said many contractors have taken loan from the banks and have to clear that liability also with interest. It is most unfair and grave injustice on the part of Government to deny us payments, Kohli added.
Chief Engineer, R&B Jammu, Des Raj Bhagat when contacted revealed that the total liability of R&B Divisions in Jammu province towards contractors will be around Rs 150 crores. He said out of the total, nearly Rs 100 crores pertained to macadamization works executed in the region during the last 5 years. Around Rs 65 crore amount will be the liability of Jammu and Samba districts alone. Bhagat claimed that he has projected this issue before the Administrative Department. When the payments are released by the Finance department, he will clear the old liabilities, Bhagat added.
Replying to a question, the Chief Engineer said that many works were executed on the verbal instructions of the politicians (former Ministers/ Legislators). The engineers have not done works at their own. During popular Government, these things happen and the officers have just obeyed the directions, he maintained.
Chief Engineer, R&B Kashmir, Sammi Arif disclosed that around Rs 400 crore is the liability of contractors in Kashmir. He said during 2014 floods in Kashmir, many roads got extensively damaged. The works were started during 2015 onwards. Huge liability went on piling up and was not cleared till date. He said majority of the liability pertains to Kashmir division as floods in Jhelum during Sept 2014 had wrecked havoc in Srinagar City and other parts of Kashmir.
Arif said the contractors are exerting pressue on him and other officers of the R&B to clear their bills. They have been told by R&B staff that their demand has been projected before the Principal Secretary, R&B. He said during last year some queries were raised by the Finance department but the same have been cleared and replied by the R&B Department. The payments will be cleared after funds are released by the Government, he added.
Chief Engineer PMGSY Jammu, Manzoor Hussain when asked about the pending liability, said it will be around Rs 250 crores in Jammu province, but it is not basically the liability. The J&K Government received an amount of Rs 353 crores from the Union Government in March 2020 for PMGSY works. Due to procedural delay, the payments to the contractors could not be made. The money was lying with the Finance Department. Earlier, they used to receive this money directly from the Union Ministry of Rural Development but now, the procedure has been changed by J&K UT Administration, the Chief Engineer said.
Principal Secretary PW(R&B), Shailendar Kumar when asked about the reason behind the delay being caused in making payments to the contractors, said this is an old issue. If during 2014 floods, the road infrastructure suffered damages in Kashmir and other parts, the previous Government and concerned Ministers/ officers should have cleared that liability. “Rs 550 cr is huge amount. If these payments are pending since 2015, we will have to look into the details and find out the reasons behind them,” the Principal Secretary maintained.
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