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| Road block in NH widening | | R&B gets Rs 188 for 14567501 crore work | |
Official ‘blunder’ triggers financial crises for Rs 60 Cr Road–project
Jammu, Aug 21 : An official ‘blunder’ on the part of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Jammu has triggered a financial crisis for Rs 60 crores ambitious Parempura-Pantha Chowk 4-lanning road project in Kashmir Valley.
According to sources, the crises, which involves a controversy surrounding the amount of payment against the work commissioned by a private construction company, has brought NHAI Jammu and Roads and Building (R&B) Division Kashmir at confrontation, which is likely to hit pace of work on the project.
Against the bill of Rs 14567501, submitted by M/s PBA Constructions, which has been assigned 4-lanning construction work of Parempura-Pantha Chowk road, through Roads and Building (R&B) Department, Kashmir, the National Highway Authority of India has passed the bill of Rs 188 only without going through the contents of comparative analysis of the payment order.
Stunned over the meager amount of passed bill, the R&B Division Kashmir has brought the matter into the notice of higher authorities in NHAI for seeking an explanation from NHAI Jammu about each and every entry of the payment order passed on IPC 15 under which the payment has been made. Besides, R&B Kashmir has also asked the Project Director NHAI Jammu to send a copy of the passed order of IPC for reconciliation to its office.
The engineer’s representative, 4-lanning of national highway Bypass Srinagar even wrote to superintending engineer (team leader 4-lanning) through letter no 2729-35 dated 31-07-2006, which reads as under “Kindly recall the discussion held in you office chamber some back regarding information received about Project Director NHAI having passed the IPC 15th for a sum of Rs. 188.00 (Rs. One hundred eighty only) It was a real shock to know about the sum of passed bill. The department of Roads and Buildings, sources said immediately dispatched one of Engineer’s of the Division to Jammu for reconciling the facts with project Director NHAI so that mistake if any on their part is rectified” the letter further read as “Immediately on reaching Jammu the said engineer reported that Project Director NHAI has passed the Bill for an amount of Rs. 188.00 only and has already sent the so called cheque to Srinagar for collection”
Not only this the under signed while showing his displeasure over the matter mentioned in concluding Para of the letter that “After going through the contents of annexed information I would request that this issue e taken up at higher level in NHAI and an explanation be sought from NHAI Jammu about each and every entry of the payment order pasted on IPC 15th sp that we are wiser in future while processing further IPC’s. As per the information annexed it is clear that net payment due to M/S PBA was to the tune of Rs. 14567501.00 instead of the sum of Rs. 188.00 only passed by NHAI Jammu”,.
The R&B Division Kashmir claims that wrong calculations on the part of Project Director NHAI Jammu accounts for the less bill. It seems that who so ever has passed the IPC 15th in Project Director NHAI office Jammu, has acted in a careless manner that has resulted in such a financial crisis for the project, a spokesman of R&B Kashmir told the News Agency of Kashmir.
However, on the other hand, the NHAI has not so far responded to the official letters of the R&B Kashmir in this regard even after a month with the result that the controversy surrounding amount of the payment against the commissioned work, still continues and which is ultimately affecting the pace of ongoing construction work on the road project.
Even as the project has to get completed by the August 2006, Chief engineer R&B Kashmir admitted that it is likely to take at least one year more for the completion.
Investigations revealed that the difference starts from the IPC no 15 dated 5th April submitted to NHAI where in Engineer who happened to be Chief Engineer of a state allows a secured amount sum of Rs. 13418500.00 in the bill, which was mainly paid as material and was very much in stores. It further revealed that the item which reflects as (4) in both cases and on comparison which can be seen from the amount shown i.e. 10918.500.00 as against Rs. 13418,500,00 as per the IPC 15th submitted out of which Rs. 112906, 5.88 and 1400000. 00 i.e. 2529065, 00 was deducted from the Bill.
When contacted, Project Director Mr.Pardesi said that he can’t comment on the issue as there is separate DGM who is PRO NHA also to deal with media. He further said that he will collect the figures from this office only, but I can not share the information with media. |
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