World Bank aided project machinery rotting in KGP

Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 2: The machinery procured for the multi-crore rupees World Bank aided project for leather technology course in Jammu and Kashmir is rotting for past 7 years in Kashmir Government Polytechnic, Srinagar.
The machinery was purchased by the State Procurement Implementation Unit (SPIU) between 2004 and 2007 for over Rs 5 crores and was dumped in the painting booth which was also purchased at the cost of crores of rupees for providing practical training to the students of automobile branch in the KGP, Srinagar.
The Leather Technology course was started by the department of Technical Education with World Bank funding its machinery with the objective of boosting the leather industry in the State for which raw material is readily available.
The course was started in KGP, Srinagar with the intake capacity of 40 students per year so that the youth of the State can start their own units as this industry has lot of potential in the State.
The machinery was procured by the SPIU on the requisition of then In-Charge Principal of the KGP, Srinagar, Tuha Andrabi, who is presently In-Charge Joint Director, Polytechnics. After procuring the machinery it was not installed at all causing huge losses to the State exchequer and with the changing technology the machinery has now become obsolete and carrier of hundreds of students has been ruined over the years.
For past 9 years only 13 students, with 7 in 2006, 5 in 2007 and one in 2008, passed out from the KGP, Srinagar in Leather Technology course. Sources said that all the 13 pass outs could not find any job in the State and had to go for further training in Leather Technology outside the State due to poor quality training in the KGP, Srinagar before getting a job.
However, the Leathery Technology department in the KGP, Srinagar has two lecturers, one demonstrator, one instructor, one attendant and two orderlies who are drawing lakhs of rupees as salary for sitting idle.
The KGP, Srinagar admits 40 students for the Leather Technology every year and after first year the students are forced to shift to other branches with the result the department has become defunct by now.