*Fails to subit Audited Balance Sheet for 2014-15
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 4: Compared to the northern States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Haryana; the Jammu and Kashmir State has stooped low with just 35 % achievement of annual targets in PMGSY road projects while the State too, has failed to submit Audited Balance Sheet for the year 2014-15 to the Union Government.
Official sources said that compared to the highest 45 % PMGSY roads in J&K, 9% roads are PMGSY in Punjab, 23 % in Uttarakhand, 14 % in Haryana and 33 % in Himachal Pradesh. But J&K is the lowest among all the northern States in the PMGSY performance, in terms of average length of construction in kms per day till October this financial year. While Uttarakhand and Himachal have topped with 100 % physical achievement, Punjab with 98 % at second place, Haryana 70 % ; the J&K State has remained at the lowest place with just 35 % physical achievement.
Sources in the R&B revealed that during regional review meeting of the PMGSY roads held in New Delhi recently, the officials from the J&K had to face embarrassing situation with low performance. Even they were pulled up by the Joint Secretary (RC) & DG, NRRDA (National Rural Road Development Agency) and Director (F&A) that J&K has failed to submit the Audited Balance Sheet for the previous year ( 2014-15) of the PMGSY road projects initiated in J&K State. All other States except Uttarakhand and J&K had delayed the submission of Balance Sheet for the last financial year. They pointed out that as per PMGSY Programme guidelines, Audited Balance Sheet has to be furnished to NRRDA before the prescribed time limit that is before approving the release of funds. This process may block the release of funds for the ongoing projects.
The NRRDA officials grilled J&K for its failure to clear a large number of 867 pending final bills of the contractors of PMGSY roads works and asked to clear the liability within three months. Haryana projected the 83 pending bills, Himachal 139, Punjab 115 while Uttarakhand just 82. All these States have been directed to settle these claims and clear pending bills in three months, by the end of January 2016.
Going tough on the J&K and Uttarakhand, the NRDDA officials directed that these States would submit monthly completion plan for all balance on going works with current stages. Moreover, J&K will submit proposal for approval of Ministry regarding habitations reconciliation based on Rural Sanitation Drinking Water Supply ( 2001 Chapter) or National Rural Habitation Survey (2003 Chapter) by ending of December 2015. The J&K, HP and Uttarakhand were also directed to establish balance field laboratories by December 2015.
It was also agreed upon to provide additional funds to the J&K for the restoration of damaged PMGSY roads due to September 2014 rains and floods. The State Government was also asked to clear all the 44 Action Taken Reports (ATRs) by the end of December this year. All the northern States have been asked by NRRDA for the fixation of targets for the use of ‘waste plastic’ and ‘cold mix’ in construction of rural roads under PMGSY.
The top NRRDA official further directed J&K, Himachal and Uttarakhand to update all data in Online Management Monitoring System (OMMAS), relating to habitations, DRRP, Core network, year-wise sanctioned proposals, R&D, Maintenance, R&P module by the end of this year. From January 2016 onwards, no physical and financial reports will be accepted from these States and only OMMAS generated reports will be considered.
Director Technical focused on the concerns of the NRRDA including CAG Audit team report on the non-completion of the PMGSY projects sanctioned prior to 2010-11 and pulled up J&K for being at the top with 361 incomplete/ abandoned roads as projected in the documents. Himachal remained the second with 182 such road works and Uttarakhand 105.
A top officer in the R&B when contacted disclosed on the condition of anonymity that delay in the completion of many PMGSY roads in State has been caused mainly due to land disputes, pending forest clearances and abandoning of road projects by contractors. He said that after cutting work, many contractors abandoned works and dispute in payments were also some of the reasons. He said that as per directions from the Central agency, the pending bills will be settled shortly.
Referring to the damage caused to PMGSY roads and bridges, he said a proposal worth Rs 65 crore has been prepared after compiling reports from various R&B Divisions. He said the proposal is being sent to the NRRDA shortly. When asked about non-submission of Audited Balance Sheet for the years 2014-15, he said the work on the Audited Balance Sheet for Kashmir division has now been completed and in Jammu division it is nearing completion. It is hoped that Balance Sheet for the year 2014-15 will be submitted to the Centre by next week.
In response to another question, he said for the 10th Phase of the PMGSY project, J&K will get Rs 3600 crore while for 8th-9th Phase, State had received Rs 1700 crores. Out of the 10,000 km PMGSY roads, 6000 kms have been completed including fair weather roads. But only 2000 kms roads could be black topped. The J&K State has spent nearly Rs 3500 crore on PMGSY roads up to 9th Phase, he maintained.
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