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| Funds meant for development of roads diverted for COVID-19 management | | Lackadaisical attitude from people at helm leads to problems for people | |  Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 20: The lackadaisical attitude from the people at helm at times leads to a situation where the problems of people left remain unattended for years together with the money also being spent on some other projects.
Same has happened with a project that could have solved problems of a huge population living in at least two districts of the Kashmir valley. Since the project could not get kick started the people living in many areas continue to face problems more so when the winter season is approaching.
On September 3, 2019 the Project Management Unit of Jhelum & Tawi Flood Recovery Project invited bids for the upgradation of Kadlabal-Lasjan-Rambagh Road and Pampore-Pulwama Road. The bids were supposed to be received on November 14, 2019 and they were to be opened on the same date.
The bids were supposed to be opened in the presence of designated representatives of the companies who took part in the bidding process. The total cost of the project was one and half crores with the cost of bid document being Rs. 10,000.
The work was supposed to be completed within a period of 15 months and the project was funded by World Bank.
Sources told Early Times that there was an inordinate delay in the entire process and the same has not been taken up even up to this moment of time. They said the delay in taking up the project has compounded the problems living in the areas of the Srinagar and Pulwama districts. Some of the areas fall within the Budgam district of Central Kashmir as well.
“It is highly unfortunate that the funds meant for the project have been diverted to the COVID-19 management programme. Since the people at helm could not complete the entire bidding process within the stipulated time the whole process got delayed. The inordinate delay led to diversion of funds and same were used in mitigation of Corona Virus,” said the sources.
The delay in taking up the project has meant that the condition of roads connecting Rambagh in Srinagar district with Kadlabal in Pulwama district and Pampore area with the Pulwama town continues to be dilapidated. Huge ditches and potholes have come up all along the roads thereby leading to multiple problems for the residents.
The residents have voiced their anger many times and given vent to the same while protesting against the inordinate delay in the project. They have urged the people at helm especially the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure that the project is taken up immediately so that they heave a sigh of relief. |
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