Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 17: A vital bridge project, worth Rs 206 crore over river Chenab in Khour-Pargwal area of Akhnoor Sub Division in district Jammu, said to be the longest bridge not only in J&K State but in Northern India, is facing uncertainty as the JKPCC and R&B authorities failed to finalise tenders even after the lapse of one and half year.
More shocking and surprising fact of the matter is that despite the directions from none less than Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Minister for R&B, Naeem Akhtar, the people at the helm of affairs in the R&B and JKPPC, were least bothered to finalise the financial bid and allot the work of this prestigious bridge project of Jammu region. The members of the Financial Bid Committee including MD, JKPCC and others are just buying time and delaying this important project, for which entire funding is being made by the Government of India.
MLA Akhnoor Rajiv Sharma and MLA Chhamb Dr Krishan Lal, who recently had warned the JKPCC and R&B authorities ‘to start work on this project or face agitation’, told the Excelsior that they had suspended their programme only on the assurance from the R&B Minister and Commissioner/ Secretary R&B that work will be allotted to a national bidder shortly but now one and half moth is over, the officers concerned have failed to allot the work.
They said initial tender validity of 120 days lapsed on 22-2-1017 and then first extension of 90 days was given and thereafter, two more extensions of one month each were offered to the national bidders but that period is also almost over. The third extension is expiring on July 22, 2017. This showed that some people are sabotaging this project and are just buying time. They do not want to get this Jammu centric project get cleared.
The Legislators further revealed that they along with State BJP president Sat Sharma met the Chief Minister on July 7 and earlier occasions met the R&B Minister and Commissioner/ Secretary R&B. The CM directed the R&B Minister to get the project cleared without any delay. “It is surprising to note that even CM’s directions are being taken lightly by the lobby apparently sabotaging this important project. We are under tremendous pressure from the local public to start indefinite agitation if the bridge work was not allotted before July 22,” the MLAs maintained.
Sources in R&B told the Excelsior that actually this prestigious Jammu centric project is facing rough weather at the hands of some people at the helm of affairs, despite the fact that entire funding is being made by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. For sabotaging this project, initially, some people moved to the court on the advice of some ‘insiders’ but the court dismissed their plea ( on 23-3-2017) about two months back. Even after that the financial bid could not be finalized till today.
They further revealed that Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had sanctioned the 1680 mt long bridge project over Chenab worth Rs 206 crore on January 18, 2016. The work was authorised by the State R&B department to the JKPCC on April 16, 2016. As the CRF guidelines, national e-tender was issued on 25-7-2016 and last date of submission of bid was October 26, 2016. The technical bid was opened on November 2, 2016. In between a writ petition was filed in the court by a local company after the tender process was completed. However, the High Court after listening both sides dismissed the petition on March 23, 2017.
The members of the Bid Committee including MD JKPCC and others, failed to finalise the contract even after court lifted the restrictions on them. In between the bid validity of 120 days as per e-NIT condition expired on February 22, 2017. Three main companies, who are contesting- M/s Gammon India Ltd Mumbai, M/s SP Singla Constructions Pvt Ltd Chandigarh and M/s Arvind Techno Engineers Pvt Ltd Delhi were requested for three months extension in the bid validity. They all have deposited bank guarantee worth over Rs 10 crores with the JKPCC.
Interestingly, the third extended financial bid validity of the bridge project is going to be expired on July 22, 2017 (Tuesday, but the officials at the helm of affairs in JKPCC and R&B department are just buying time and fate of this important bridge project which is strategically and Defence point of view very vital in Pargwal-Khour sector, bordering Pakistan is still uncertain. There is no binding on the construction agency after court gave the green nod but officers at the helm of affairs are avoiding to open the financial bid for the reason best known to them. The Technical evaluation conducted after opening of technical bid on November 2, 2017 clearly indicated that all the three bidders are technically qualified. But it has been reliably learnt that Managing Director instead of opening financial bid sought opinion from Commissioner/ Secretary R&B, who in turn wrote back to the MD JKPCC to exercise his own powers as Technical evaluation was solely in the domain of MD and his technical team. The move to set up yet another technical committee for the purpose is yet another attempt of the `insiders’ to delay this project.
A senior officer in R&B claimed that this bridge is considered as most vital and strategically important as per Defence point of view due to geographical location of Pargwal area having population of over 22,000 to 25000 souls and presence of several defence installations there, yet this bridge did not attract the much attention of the State and the Central Governments since 2012.
During last four years, the site of the bridge has been changed twice due to ill-planning by the people at the helm of affairs and now, third location near Indripattan in Jourian area of Akhnoor and Sajwal in Pargwal area, has been selected instead of Hamirpur Kona and another second location, about 3 km upstream the initial site. The funding period of NABARD also lapsed due to long delay and the State had to surrender these funds and then project was resent to the Union Govt under Central Road Fund (CRF) by the new PDP-BJP Govt which sanctioned Rs 206 crore. Even in last two years of this new Govt, no much progress has been witnessed on this important bridge project.
He said this 1680 mt span bridge over Chenab, directly connecting Pargwal area, which is surrounded by Pakistan from three sides and from other side locked by the mighty Chenab river, with a narrow road acting as life line along an old canal popularly known as Suyya No. 1 with Khour, will provide a big relief to the big population of this border belt after commissioning. During Pakistani shelling/ firing , only one single road connecting Pargwal with Jammu-Akhnoor highway at Suyya No. I, serves as life line for the people. But some times this huge population remains cut off during heavy shelling from Pakistani side as this only road is closer to border at several points and this bridge would provide them a vital outlet at the time of crisis. The bridge would also reduce the distance between Pargwal and Khour Tehsil/ Sub- Divisional headquarters from 55 kms to just 14-15 kms.
Earlier, this bridge was being constructed just near Khour town connecting Pargwal directly. But from there Line of Control is closer. The span was also hardly 900 meters from there but Defence authorities raised objections and then it was shifted to the location, about 3 kms upstream. It was earlier approved under NABARD but later shifted to CRF. The officer disclosed that tender worth Rs 175 crore have been floated and the rest of the amount will be spent on allied works including approach roads of 2500 mt and 300 mt length on both sides and raising concrete embankments on both the sides of the bridge. He said that the work on the bridge is expected to be started by one month and it will be completed within three years.
Commissioner /Secretary, R&B Sanjeev Verma when contacted said that since this bridge is of immense importance and vital, the officers connected with it want to get them self satisfied with all the parameters and technical aspects. Verma said he has taken over the charge hardly few weeks back and he held meetings with the Financial Bid Committee members and also the people interested to take up the work. He said earlier due to court case the project was delayed.
Mr Verma further said, ” We are consulting the experts in the fields and national level agencies so that we may not commit any error or leave any important aspect before finalization of the financial bid. We will allot work shortly to the competent bidder who will qualify all the conditions and it will happen soon. We may not commit that it will be allotted before July 22 but we will try to meet the deadline, “Verma maintained.
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