Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 8: In an embarrassing situation for the State, the Union Ministry of Urban Development has returned proposals of over Rs 222 crore worth projects for non-adherence to the advisory issued from time to time and delayed submission of the Detailed Project Reports under the Transition Phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM).
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the Union Ministry in order to strengthen urban infrastructure extended the first phase of JNNURM beyond its original completion on March 31, 2012 to March 31, 2014 under the Transition Phase. This phase, a bridge between the first and the second phase of JNNURM, was initiated to complete the ongoing projects and support new projects up to March 2014.
As the Mission prioritized speedy approval and implementation of projects during this phase, a number of directions/guidelines were issued to all the States for project preparation and scrutiny at the State level. However, keeping in view several anomalies in the project proposals sent under the Transition Phase, the JNNURM Directorate in the Union Ministry on November 22, 2013 once again issued advisory for submission of project proposals under the Transition Phase.
The Ministry even circulated the copies of the advisory to all the States including Jammu and Kashmir for adherence during the DPR preparation so that Ministry did not face difficulties during the appraisal process.
However, there was no strict compliance to the advisory from the concerned authorities in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of which the Union Ministry has returned proposals of over Rs 222 crore worth nine projects, which were submitted during the Transition Phase. “The DPRs have been returned to State mainly due to delayed submission of the same and non-adherence to the advisory”, sources said while disclosing that National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) was the appraisal agency for these nine projects.
The DPRs of these nine projects were forwarded to the Union Ministry for appraisal in the middle of February 2014, nearly three months after the issuance of latest advisory by the Ministry on November 22, 2013, and despite the concerned authorities being aware of the fact that Transition Phase would come to an end on March 31, 2014, sources informed.
The project proposals, which have been returned to the State by the Ministry, pertain to drainage works in the towns of Anantnag, Baramulla, Kulgam and Sopore; Solid Waste Management works in Katra, Kishtwar and Kulgam towns and sewerage and road works in Khour and Kishtwar towns, sources said.
The NBCC had submitted DPR of Rs 34.14 crore for drainage works in Anantnag, Rs 43.56 crore for drainage works in Baramulla, Rs 15.80 crore for Solid Waste Management work in Katra, Rs 23.96 crore for sewerage works in Khour, DPR of Rs 9.65 crore for road work in Kishtwar, Rs 6.14 crore for Solid Waste Management work in Kishtwar, Rs 12.84 crore for drainage works in Kulgam, DPR of Rs 7.76 crore for Solid Waste Management works in Kulgam and DPR of Rs 68.93 crore drainage work in Sopore town.
However, the Ministry has sanctioned and released funds in respect of four projects for the Leh district as their DPRs fully met the laid down guidelines and advisories issued from time to time, sources said.
The Ministry has sanctioned Rs 70.48 crore for water supply, Rs 76.53 crore for roads, Rs 10.94 crore for Solid Waste Management and Rs 59.39 crore for sewerage works in Leh district.
Had there been strict adherence to the advisory issued by the Union Ministry from time to time, these towns would have not been deprived of the financial assistance under the Centrally-sponsored scheme, sources said. “This indicates that there is no accountability in the State and nobody is taking seriously the denial of assistance under various schemes of Union Government to Jammu and Kashmir”, they added.
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