No project obviously can be expected to go smoothly and be complete within the stipulated timeframe unless proper fund low commensurate with its stages wise construction was forthcoming and that too on assured basis. We know much hyped Jambu Zoo, expected to be of its own class to get the tag of a special category zoo, has already suffered on that count and hence had been categorised under ”Languishing Project” like all those projects in hundreds whose fate plunged into uncertainties and were virtually abandoned and perhaps forgotten too . To revive such projects and with an aim to virtually retrieving all the money which had been spent on them to reach certain stages of completion which could not be possible unless funds were raised , the Government set up Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) . Needless to add, many projects which were languishing for years together were not only revived but as many as 1200 of them completed with the funds provided by the JKIDFC . However, there are still many projects which though re-started have again to face stoppage of work due to non availability of the funds which is attributable to the JKIDFC not having been in a position to get money from the designated financial institutions , Banks etc quite in time. Jambu Zoo, therefore, also for that reason appears to be suffering and facing impeding of the pace of ongoing work.
That, in other words means whatever projections were made in respect of the completion of the project of the Jambu Zoo in Nagrota Jammu with an estimated cost of over Rs.64 crore are unlikely to be realised and ,therefore, the work on the said project getting completed by March 2022 is far from any type of possibility. Earlier, it was hoped that the <project would be completed by November – December 2021, however, later it was felt that its Phase 1 would be completed by March 2022 which, again, due to uncertain nature of flow of funds to it was looking quite remote. There are several components of the project on which the work has been going on but the ground situation is that not even one component can be claimed to have been completed. We feel that it is better to cause a project to wait till the time adequate funds were managed and kept at the disposal of the project managers rather than do it in fits and starts leading again to delays and possibly increase in costs.
On the other hand, back to back funds are to be arranged by the JKIDFC as providing funds to languishing projects and even starting and financing new projects and ”replenishing” the same with new funds is a process on consistence basis which means the Corporation may not be in a position to meet the commitments or meeting them on a deferral basis till it has arranged its own funds. May be due to that factor, inconsistency in flow and rhythm of funds to the Zoo project having taken place has resulted in the deadline of its completion feared to be missed. Not that the work on the Zoo project is not going on but what is missed is the requisite speed and rhythm and clearance of the bills at an early date which can result in a push to the tempo of the work . Even if the deadline of March 2022 is feared to be missed to get shifted to September 2022, let all concerted efforts be put in that direction to have it completed and thrown open for public and especially for visitors visiting the UT of Jammu and Kashmir positively by that time.
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