Infructious expenditure

Sir,
Kindly refer editorial under heading “Chenani cold storage fiasco” published in DE on 12th July 2015.It has been beautifully mentioned that how this important project profitable for the   farmers ended up in fiasco. The purpose of this project was to preserve vegetables and fruits in cold store to preserve them climatically and then to market them when it is profitable for the farmers. District Development Board Udhampur approved the project pertaining to construction of cold storage under District plan scheme in the year 2004-05 at a cost of 1.70 crores rupees. It is learnt that the building work completed few years back and handed over to the concerned department but the Air conditioning work was has not yet been completed even after a lapse of period of about 10 years and thus the CAG has delivered the verdict that the project is nowhere near completion despite incurring heavy expenditure.
It is pertinent to mention here that as and when any major work is proposed an indication of cost supported by an engineer appreciation is required to be submitted through departmental channels to the authority competent to accept the necessity of the work. If the necessity of the work is accepted by the competent authority then an Approximate Estimate is prepared. Administrative Approval i.e. sanction of the Competent Financial Authority is then accorded to the execution of the work at the cost shown in the Approximate Estimate.
It is not understood that if the ibid procedure was adopted to execute the work, then why undue time is taken to install the Air conditioners to make the cold store operational so that the purpose for which this project was conceived by the District Development Board is achieved. It is however, clear that no one sitting at the helm of the affairs though claiming themselves that they are initiating more and more projects for the welfare/ upliftment of farmers/ common man, is bothered about such lapses and are passing the buck on others.
Since an expenditure of 1.70 crores of rupees has been incurred but no benefit availed by the small scale farmers/ peasants as the structure raised remains unused for the last 10 years so it is treated as infructious expenditure.
It is opined that to arrest such serious lapses being committed by the concerned authorities, these should be discussed in the local TV channels by inviting all concerned authorities besides reporting in the print media.
Yours etc…..
S.S. Jamwal,
New Plots Jammu

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