| 8 years on, IMPARD still incomplete, cost escalate by 62% | | JKPCC turns to be a damp squib | | Arun Singh
JAMMU, Sept 1: The refusal of Planning Commission of India (PCI) to enhance state's annual plan 2013-14 can be attributed to policy of Sate government and its project executing agencies to revise Detail Project Reports' (DPR) time and again, resulting into cost escalation of projects.
Sources told Early Times that Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) which is the state's major executing agency has made its tendency to revise DPR which led huge cost escalation and one such case is construction of Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD) Complex at Sidhra which is still incomplete even after lapse of 8 years.
They said that in March 2005 Ministry of Rural Development, GoI had sanctioned an amount of Rs 6.75 crore for construction of IMPARD complex at Jammu on the conditions that the cost of land will be borne by the State Government.
The land measuring 95 kanals and 14 marla was identified in Sidhra for construction of the IMPARD complex in Jammu. Out of the total land, 51 kanals and 4 marlas was state land while 44 kanals and 10 marlas was private land which was acquired by paying compensation.
"Funds under the project began to flow from the MORD, GoI in March 2005 and the construction work was taken up by the JKPCC. Against the approved cost of Rs 6.75 crore, an amount of Rs 2.25 crore was released during 2005-6, but only Rs 1.36 crore could be expended during the year," they said.
They further said that the construction work remained held up for a period of 17 months due to some dispute raised by owners of land which was later sorted out but by then, the period of 18 months, w.e.f. March 2005, assigned to JKPCC for completion of the project had already lapsed.
However, from 2008-09 onwards funds began to flow again and work recommenced. Upto 2011-12 an amount of Rs 9.16 crore (Rs 6.75 crore approved + Rs 2.41 crore additional) had been released to JKPCC but only the Administrative cum Academic Block could be completed and made functional, they added.
JKPCC had submitted the revised cost offer of Rs 10.94 crore i.e. a hike of 62% over the original approved cost of Rs 6.75 crore in November 2011. JKPCC attributed the cost escalation to increased cost of labour and material over the years and inclusion of additional items such as, lift elevator, stainless steel railing, fire extinguisher etc. in the revised cost offer, they said.
"There is an escalation of 62% in cost of the approved works. Despite the fact that the entire approved amount of Rs 6.75 crore as well as an additional amount of Rs 2.41 crore i.e. 36% against the 62% escalation, has been released to JKPCC, it has failed to complete the work assigned to it even after a lapse of 8 years," they.
Pertinently, J&K IMPARD is an autonomous society of the State Government providing in-service training to the State Government employees, elected panchayat representatives, etc. and is also undertaking research in areas of crucial importance to the administration of the state. |
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