Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 5: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report presented in the State Assembly has revealed that due to lack of proper surveys, works on 18 bridges has been held up and crores of rupees have gone down the drain.
The report says that the lack of due diligence in conduct of site surveys and in finalisation of design resulted in 18 works valued at Rs 43.95 crore being held up due to design change or land disputes after award of works rendering unfruitful expenditure of Rs 26.92 crore incurred thereon.
The report says that according to laid down rules no works should be commenced until a properly detailed design and estimate has been sanctioned and funds to cover the charge during the year have been provided by the competent authority.
Due diligence in survey, planning and ensuring availability of funds as well as land is thus a pre-requisite for efficient execution of projects and avoiding cost and time overrun.
The report says the Audit noticed that projects valued at Rs 43.95 crore were held up due to changes in design after approval of works or due to lack of encumbrance free site which indicated lack of due diligence in site surveys and designs at the technical approval stage. Consequently, expenditure of Rs 26.92 crore (61 per cent of estimated cost of the works) was rendered unfruitful.
The report says that foot bridge over river Marsudhar at Margi Warwan in district Kishtwar was estimated (June 2009) to cost Rs 1.43 crore but it was changed (June 2010) to motorable bridge and original estimate was revised (August 2011) to Rs 2.94 crore. “Rs 1.31 crore as of July 2015 on construction of abutments and procurement of part material was spent. The administrative department did not release funds and the work was held up resulting in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 1.31 crore.
It says that the construction of overhead pedestrian crossing bridge at Khanabal bridge was allotted (September 2011) at a cost of Rs 0.64 crore and Rs 0.23 crore was spent on the construction during 2012-14.
“Design of the bridge was changed to ‘Y’ type Foot X-ings for which a revised project was prepared (September 2013) for Rs 1.71 crore. The contractor demanded high rates for additional/deviated quantities and refused to execute the work. The work was abandoned (April 2014), which resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 0.23 crore.
The report says that the work for construction of bridge over Phoru Nallah in Baramulla district was estimated to cost Rs 1.88 crore and it was started in 2010-11 and after spending Rs 1.52 crore and completion of work on two piers, the work was stopped (June 2014) due to change in proposal from foot suspension bridge to motorable bridge. “Thus Rs 1.52 crore spent on the construction of bridge proved unfruitful.
The report says that RCC Steel Girder Bridge between Guree and Kheripora was estimated (July 2011) to cost Rs 1.38 crore, the construction of bridge was taken up (2011-12) and Rs 0.72 crore was spent on construction of left abutment of the bridge as of August 2015. “Balance works had not been taken up for execution despite lapse of five years rendering the expenditure of Rs 0.72 crore unfruitful”, read the report.
The report says that work on 14 bridges was taken up for execution under Special Bridge Programme (Kashmir) between 2001-02 and 2012-13. It says that works of 10 bridges (estimated cost of Rs 32.29 crore) was stopped due to non-construction of approach roads for their connectivity though Rs 19.90 crore had been spent.
“Similarly, four completed bridges estimated at the cost of Rs 3.75 crore on which Rs 3.24 crore was spent during 2010-11 to 2015-16 could not be made functional due to non-construction of their approaches owing to land disputes resulting in unproductive expenditure of Rs 23.14 crore”, read the report.
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