Slackness despite approval by Infra Development Corpn
*FC Finance conveys serious concern to Admn Secy
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 10: In a testimony of absolute slackness, the Rural Development Department has failed to make any progress on 73 languishing projects during the past nearly one year despite clearance of the same by the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) Limited.
This has been viewed seriously by Financial Commissioner Finance Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who is his capacity as Chairman of the High Powered Committee has conveyed concern to the Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department with the direction to gear up the official machinery to ensure early start of work to provide benefit to the people.
As per the official documents available with EXCELSIOR, High Level Committee on February 25, 2019 approved 73 languishing projects of the Rural Development Department for funding through Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) Limited.
At the time of approval of these projects having estimated balance cost of Rs 17.70 crore, different timelines were fixed for their completion. However, during the past nearly one year the Rural Development Department has failed to make any progress on these projects.
What to talk of those projects, which were to be completed in the months of May and August 2019, even those languishing works for which timeline of two months was fixed by the High Level Committee have not been completed till date, which is the clear testimony of slackness and non-serious approach of the Rural Development Department.
The non-seriousness in executing work on these projects came to the fore during the 9th meeting of the High Powered Committee held under the chairmanship of Financial Commissioner to Government, Finance Department.
In the official documents relating to the minutes of 9th meeting of High Powered Committee, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, “no progress by the department since approval in the HPC” has been mentioned against each of these 73 projects of the Rural Development Department.
According to the sources privy to the proceedings of the meeting, the Financial Commissioner Finance conveyed serious concern to the Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department over no progress since the approval in February 2019.
Of these 73 projects, whose fate is still hanging in balance, 22 are in Udhampur district, 13 in Rajouri, 9 in Doda, 7 in Reasi, five each in Samba, Ramban and Poonch districts, 4 in Kathua and 3 in Kishtwar.
The projects in Doda district on which no progress has been made include construction of road up to Patta village in Doda, construction of temporary accommodation for establishment of new Kendriya Vidyalaya at Jodhpur in Doda, construction of Hanch to Draman road and link road from Dharout to Kastigarh etc.
Construction of foot suspension bridge on Sarthal Sewa Nalahha in Bani block, development of pond at Sahar and construction of Shamshan Ghat near Kootah Morh are among the projects of Kathua district which still remain incomplete.
Likewise, development of playground at Gulabgarh and repair of Ziarat Sharief Hazrat Abu Bakar Sadiq in Marwah are among the languishing projects in Kishtwar district. Construction of community hall at Mandi, CFC at Baba Mastan Shah Ziarat in Mendhar and upgradation of play field at HS Dharati are among the projects in Poonch district which remain victim of slackness of the Rural Development Department.
Community hall in Khawas block, link road from Chask Sarkari to Majid Mohalla in Qila Darhal, community hall at Jawahar Nagar and construction of road in Rajouri block are among the projects whose fate is hanging in balance in Rajouri district.
Similar projects in other districts are pending for completion despite approval by the High Powered Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation.
“In order to ensure that people start taking benefit of these projects, the Rural Development Department should leave no stone unturned to immediately start work and ensure their timely completion”, sources stressed, adding “dilly-dallying approach in execution of work amounts to defeating the objectives behind floating of scheme for languishing projects”.
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