Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 25: Even after the lapse of eight long years, the up-gradation work on 27.73 kms long Udhampur (Roun Domail)-Ramnagar road is still incomplete as the Mumbai based company M/s PBA Infrastructure Ltd hired by ERA has performed very badly and abandoned the work on vital Tawi bridge few years back.
Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), this Domail-Ramnagar upgradation road project worth Rs 37.48 crore was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on March 17, 2007. The newly created Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) was given the project. ERA, further gave the contract to M/s PBA Infrastructure Ltd Mumbai and that contracting agency handed over the main work of road to a local politically connected contractor.
The State Government had given 24 months (2 years) time to the contractors to complete this task. But unfortunately, even after the lapse of eight long years, the project is still incomplete and the Mumbai firm abandoned the work on the Tawi bridge about three years back, but the ERA officials have turned mute spectators. For the last at least two years, these officials are giving plea that they are going to handover the project to R&B shortly. But the fact is that no penalty has been imposed on the defaulters and the population of over two lakhs up to Ramnagar and Dudu-Basantgarh has been left to suffer at the cost of `swindled’ public exchequer.
This project given to PBA Company has jumped at least three deadlines but the bridge/ project is still incomplete. The State authorities are also maintaining criminal silence and the guilty/ defaulters and others sharing the booty are going unpunished. A few higher officials in ERA are still supporting the agency, stating that it has not abandoned the work, while local people of the area and even sitting MLA claimed that no work on the abandoned bridge over Tawi was witnessed in last three years.
As per the project specifications, the formation width of the road was to be proposed as 9 meters from existing 5 mts, with intermediate lane of 5.5 mts. A total 62 culverts and six new bridges were proposed on this 27 km road. Date of completion of the project was December 2008. ERA hired Intercontinental Consultants & Technocrats Pvt Ltd Delhi as Consultants for the project. Carriageway width (B T surface/Pucca road) was proposed to be 5.50 mts while width of drains and shoulders is one mts and parapet 0.50 mts. A total 127 mt long double lane bridge was proposed on river Tawi near BSF Training Centre.
Sources in the R&B disclosed that compromising specifications, the contracting agency has left many narrow curves on the road un-widened and only 24 pullis/ culverts were widened and made concrete. Even at many places road is even less than 7.5 meters in width. It was also proposed to have 50 mm dense Bituminous Macadam layer, 210 mm granular sub-base layer, 250 mm Wet Mix Macadam layer but the work was done in sheer violation of the laid down specifications and the quality was compromised. Interestingly, at many places the black-topped surface has broken due to poor quality work. Near Kagote Nalla, a 100 feet long concrete retaining wall of the road collapsed about two years back. At two more places near Diari village and BDO office Ramnagar, the road stretch has sunk and the agency did not properly repair it adding to the woes of the people. The road is still with ERA and R&B did not take up any maintenance work on it.
Out of the total six bridges to be constructed as double lane, two bridges of Koh Nalla and Kagote were handed over to JKPCC and they stood completed. But they were also given extensions in completion. Though funding was not the problem for this project but poor machinery, little engineering support and poor performance by the local inexperienced contactors was also one of the reason behind the delay.
MLA Ramnagar, R S Pathania from BJP when contacted said that before the launch of this important project in March 2007, the then CEO Vijay Bakaya had given presentation and it was projected that the length of this upgraded road would be 21.5 kms but later, it was shown as 27.73 kms in project. It means people were misled and many parameters were compromised. He said at many places at curves the road is so narrow that it raises questions on the performance of ERA and PBA company.
The road at many places is not 5.5 mt wide and it has got washed away at many places. He alleged that a local contractor Sukhdev Singh with no knowledge and proper machinery has sublet the work by M/s PBA Infra Pvt Ltd with the local political interference and these people are also responsible for the fate of this road. Had some good contractor of good track record given the work, the things would have been different, Pathania added.
Referring to the abandoning of work on Tawi bridge, Pathania said that for the last over three years, half raised pillars of this bridge are seen and no more work was carried on it. The people are still using that old narrow bridge which is also in shambles. The ERA must impose penalty on the defaulters and re-tender the work. He said that for the last two years he has taken up the matter with the senior ERA officials but every time they pleaded to handover contract to R&B shortly. He said at two places retaining walls have collapsed and road also sunk at two three places, but the agency failed to get it repaired. R&B people were requested but they refused to initiate work on the plea that road was still lying with ERA. He said as per tourism point of view, this road which leads to Dudu-Basantgarh is very important and there should not be any compromise on its up-gradation specifications. The MLA demanded high level inquiry into the matter and fixation of responsibility on the concerned ERA and other officials besides the contractors.
Ex-MLA Ramnagar Harshdev Singh said that he took the matter regarding early completion of Tawi bridge with the ERA officials many times but they have not shown much interest. He alleged that some pillars have been left half erected and at the banks completed but thereafter no progress has been seen in last few years. He demanded that bridge be handed over to other agency and penalty be imposed on the contracting agency from Mumbai.
Director ERA, Alok Mengi when contacted said that initial cost of this project was Rs 37.4 crores and the revised cost has reached up to Rs 44.23 crores. He said ERA had engaged Consultants from Delhi for the quality check and control moreover the road has been completed. The bridge on Tawi is yet to be completed. It has total six spans, having three spans of 20 mts length and three spans of 15 mts length. Earlier, it was designed as RCC bridge but later redesigned as steel bridge. Now its length will be 105 meters.
When asked about the ADB funding status, Mr Mengi said that ADB funding period lapsed in September 2013 and the agency is planning to handover the work to R&B for the completion of this vital bridge. When asked why penalty was not imposed on the defaulting agency, Mengi said project has not been terminated, therefore, we can not say that contractor has abandoned work. It is true that work progress was very slow. When asked how much more time ERA needed to complete this bridge which has already consumed 8 years, ERA Director said it has now been decided to handed over to work to R&B but Mr Mengi did not give any time frame for it. He said design of the bridge was also changed and old site was also shifted due to geographical reasons once and that also delayed the work on the bridge.
CEO ERA, Tahseen Mustafa, however, claimed that agency would definitely impose penalty on the defaulters and retenders would be called to complete the remaining work on this vital bridge. He said base and sub structure is almost ready and superstructure is remaining besides approaches. Entire payment has not been made to the contractors and after imposing penalty the matter would be settled.
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