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| Mr Shigehiko, have a word with ERA people | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Nov 27: The Mission Leader of the Asian Development Bank Shigehiko Muramota is in the town, but many, within and outside the government, are not quite happy with its fully funded agency in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Economic Reconstruction Agency, ERA, a development reconstruction agency created by the Jammu and Kashmir government and fully funded by the Asian Development Bank is coming under a sharp criticism from public as well as the public representatives on the manner it is working.
ERA has been conceived and created with a vision to create world class infrastructure in Jammu and Jammu and Kashmir. The agency has hired a large staff, is jumping high with huge budget, has engaged internationally renowned consultancies like Scott Wilson but is accused of working in a completely unilateral manner with no care for getting an idea of the local developmental needs or taking the local representatives into confidence.
Currently headed by an IAS officer Pankaj Jain, the ERA draws most of its staff on contract and is seen working as company which has nothing to do the government or the public representatives. Earlier it was headed by the former Chief Secretary Vijay Bakaya as its Chief Executive Officer.
The ERA has been more or less performing the job of the state departments like the Roads and Buildings Department, Public Health Engineering Department or Housing and Urban Development Department.
Since the agency has not coordinating with other arms of the government, in many cases there has been seen overlapping and duplicity of the projects.
When the Estimates Committee of the State Legislative Assembly met here today to discuss the functionaries of the ERA, the legislators were all fire on the working of gency. "Particularly those drawn from the urban areas were critical in their view point", said a source.
The members alleged that the ERA is not having coordination with other wings of the government and therefore there are many cases of duplicity. They strongly asked for adopting a better delivery system while identifying and implementing the projects. They said that the works being executed by the ERA are not picking up speed as required for progress of ongoing projects so that the benefits of such developmental activities reach to the needy on ground. The Committee members also asked to simplify the procedure of tendering and work consumption in this process.
The Committee advised the Chief Executive Officer, ERA to maintain close coordination with various agencies while identifying and implementing future projects to ensure better delivery system and to avoid duplicity of works on ground. The agency should also take into confidence the local public representatives while framing the new projects so that the objective of the agency could be achieved in true spirits. It is only local MLA who knows better about his area and his views must be obtained for the development of the area, the Committee maintained. |
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