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| Crores expended on Sidhra Golf course; another white elephant in the making | | DPR, Administrative approval nowhere | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Oct 14: With construction cost likely to go over Rs. 60 crore, prestigious Golf Course in Jammu which is stretched over an area of 1385 kanals in Sidhra is set to become another white elephant.
If the report of the Chief Minister's monitoring cell is taken into consideration, the construction of 18 hole Golf Course was taken up by the Tourism Department in the year 2005-06 on 1385 kanals of land on the left bank of river Tawi at Sidhra in Jammu without seeking mandatory administrative approval. The report further establishes the fact that Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the golf course was never vetted by planning department neither was ever same sought from the department.
Hence, those working on the golf course do not have a detailed project report on the basis of which they could give an exact assessment of amount required for completing the golf course. Engineers working on the project maintain that due to this, project cost is likely to rise to Rs 60.00 crore for which the revised DPR is under preparation. They added that the project is under execution for the last several years without appropriate funding, resulting in escalation of cost.
Though it is mandatory that a copy of the DPR of the project should have been forwarded by the Tourism Department to the Development Commissioner (works) of the Roads and Buildings Department to examine the same and accord approval only to those items which are imminent, the same has not been done for the reasons best known to the officials working on the project. Due to this, work done liabilities are created with each passing year and have remained un-cleared so far.
They further said that expenditure on account of maintenance of the infrastructure already developed is being borne out of the project cost although there is no provision for such work in the DPR which is yet to be approved. Condition of approach road has worsened and those going to the golf course have to bear the pain and anguish of travelling over a road on which driving vehicles is not always safe. The chain link fencing also requires repairs.
When the engineers associated with the project were asked by the officials of the Chief Minister's monitoring cell to work out the minimum requirement of funds for completion of 18 holes Golf Course and the club building so that the infrastructure could be offered to the public for its utility to begin generating revenue in the shape of membership fee, they demanded a minimum amount of Rs 7.20 crore for the purpose.
It is pertinent to mention here that the annual state plan of Director Tourism, Jammu is in the range of Rs 12 crore to Rs 15 crore which he has to expend across 10 districts of Jammu Division. During 2013-14 an amount of Rs 4.65 crore was released and expended on the Golf Course. Engineers to accept that the golf course is coming up at the expense of tourism projects going on in other parts of Jammu region. They assert that it would be difficult for the Tourism Department to allocate Rs 7.20 crore under the current year's state plan exclusively for the Golf Course unless additional funds are arranged for the purpose in consultation with the Planning & Development Department.
They further maintain that such additional funding has to be one time and at the earliest so that the Golf Course and club building is made functional enabling generation of revenue for its development as well as for the State Government. Expenditure on account of maintenance of the 9 hole Golf Course which is ready is still being met out of funds released against project cost. Sources informed that since the last two years the maintenance expenditure is being reported separately so that additional funds are requisitioned and obtained for the purpose.
An expenditure of Rs 49.98 lacs and Rs 57.73 lacs has been incurred on maintenance of the Golf Course during 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. A large number of labourers (80-100) have been engaged for maintenance of the Golf Course. The possibility of such labourers demanding for their regularization in the Government sector in near future is not being ruled out. |
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