Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 19: Amidst protests by the BJP legislators and public from Akhnoor, Khour and Pargwal for three consecutive days just few days back and the high-pitched drama enacted by the JKPCC officials to launch work at the bridge site at the bank of river Chenab in Pargwal in hush- hush manner just to defuse agitation, the JKPCC, a contracting agency of the PWD (R&B) Department of the State today cancelled the tender of the prestigious Rs 206 crore Chenab bridge project after a lapse of 13 months.
As reported by the Excelsior earlier, the work on this vital bridge over river Chenab in Khour-Pargwal area of Akhnoor Sub Division in district Jammu, said to be the longest bridge in Northern India, is being sabotaged as the concerned agency JKPCC under R&B Department failed to finalise the contract even after the lapse of one and half year of its sanction on January 18, 2016.
Highly placed sources in R&B told the Excelsior that some ‘vested interests’, managed to sabotage the Jammu centric project as the Technical Committee of the JKPCC headed by its Managing Director, Dalip Thussu, involved in the tender process since July 25, 2016, cancelled the tender today even after granting extensions of 180 days, exposing the incompetence, incapability and mala-fide intentions of the people at the helm of affairs.
Sources further revealed that this important road bridge which is very vital from Defence point of view in Akhnoor sector, close to the Indo-Pak border, is likely to face the fate of `Rs 1000 crore Chenab water project for Greater Jammu’ and may be de-sanctioned due to weak political leadership of Jammu and the criminal silence of some Jammu Ministers and public representatives. In fresh design and tender process, another one year will be consumed and almost two and half years time will be over by then. After the passage of about three years of its sanction, this bridge project is sure to be heading towards de-sanction by the Centre, the sources maintained.
A copy in the possession of Daily Excelsior, forwarded to Joint Director Information Jammu for the Cancellation of tender has not cited any justified reason for the cancellation of the tender but it has mentioned, ” Kindly find enclosed cancellation notice of e-NIT (Notice Inviting Tender ) No. JKPCC/U -4th/J/02 of 2016-17, dated 25-7-2016 for Design and Construction of 1600 mt span composite Type ( Partially Balanced Cantilever/ Partly Prestressed box girder) double lane bridge, with 1.5 mt wide footpaths on both sides including approaches of length 2550 mts on right side and 300 mts on left side, over river Chenab at Sajwal (Pargwal)- Indripattan (Jourian) in district Jammu (Under CRF).”
This prestigious Jammu centric project was facing rough weather from very beginning at the hands of the people at the helm of affairs, despite the fact that entire funding worth Rs 206. 90 crore is being made by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under CRF. For sabotaging this project, some people moved to the court on the advice of some ‘insiders’ but the court dismissed their plea ( on 23-3-2017). Even after that, the financial bid could not be finalized by the MD and his team.
Sources revealed that Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways sanctioned the 1680 mt long bridge project over Chenab on January 18, 2016. The work was authorised by the State R&B department to the JKPCC, which itself is contracting agency with no infrastructure, 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 11, 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 to both sides dismissed by 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. In between the bid validity of 120 days as per e-NIT condition expired on February 22, 2017. Three main companies, which 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 extended financial bid validity of (90 days) the bridge project expired on May 23, 2017, but the officials at the helm of affairs in JKPCC and R&B department failed to take a decision. Then again three more extensions of 30 days each were sought by the MD JKPCC and his team but they just managed to buy time and did not open the financial bid even after opening the technical bid and holding discussions with the representatives of main three participating companies at Srinagar recently.
In between, the people from Akhnoor, Pargwal and Khour led by MLA Rajiv Sharma started indefinite protest dharna at JKPCC office but on third day the top JKPCC officials assured them to start work immediately and also moved a few JCBs and some labourers at the site and raised few huts/ sheds there just to defuse the situation and befool innocent public.
After the public turned little cool, sensing the pulse, they went for another sabotage exercise and cancelled the tender after the futile exercise of 13 months. If they had to go for cancellation and shovering favours on some favourites, what was the need of seeking four extensions, staring work at the site just to befool, the public of two Assembly constituencies of Akhnoor and Khour. Even the Jammu MLAs/ Ministers ignored to support this Jammu centric important project.
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 population of over 22,000 souls 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.
MLA Akhnoor, Rajiv Sharma said it is very unfortunate that contract was today cancelled by the JKPCC authorities. He said that during agitation top JKPCC officials and even the Commissioner/ Secretary R&B had assured to start work shortly but they have duped the people from these two constituencies. He claimed that entire negative and dirty role has been played by the MD JKPCC Dalip Thussu and his senior bureaucrat who have harmed the interests of Jammu. He said that ‘dead wood’ should be removed from the JKPCC and officers of integrity, capability and credibility should be placed in the department. He warned to launch decisive struggle for the bridge.
The MLA also demanded that R&B itself should issue fresh tenders because JKPCC is contracting agency. JKPCC would siphon out 15 % (Rs 30 crore) share as per norms from the Rs 206 crore project, putting extra burden on public exchequer. He demanded that this agency which has almost turned defunct with no infrastructure, machines etc, should wind up its operation as it is working as `just middlemen’, thus affecting the working and eroding credibility of PWD (R&B). He also demanded high level inquiry into the lapse.
MP Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha Constituency Jugal Kishore Sharma said that after long struggle he managed to get sanctioned Central funds for this project. He said this bridge is the long pending demand of the people from Akhnoor, Khour and Pargwal. The MP said that decision regarding cancellation of tender was not to his knowledge but this is not good development. He claimed that he will take up the matter at highest level after discussing with concerned officers.
Commissioner/Secretary R&B, Sanjeev Verma, when contacted said that decision regarding cancellation of tender was taken after seeking advise from committee of three Chief Engineers. He claimed that there was some problem in the design and therefore, it was decided to go for fresh tender of design and then in second stage for the tender of construction of bridge separately. Earlier, the contract was for design and construction both of the bridge.
When asked why 13 months were wasted besides according four extensions to the tender committee, if the fresh tenders had to be invited separately, the Commissioner had no justified reply. He however, said that matter pertained to the technical people including MD JKPCC and others involved in technical evaluation process. They can tell better about it as he has taken over charge hardly few months back. Despite, repeated calls, MD JKPCC could not be contacted for his comments.
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