Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, May 11, 2018: The construction of at least eight school buildings has come to a grinding halt in South Kashmir's Anantnag district as the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA), which funds the works, has failed to release requisite funds on time.
Official reports said that the contractors, who have been allotted works of constructing these school buildings in different areas of Anantnag, have stopped continuing construction works.
Executions of these works, they said, were started in the finical years of 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Eight schools buildings, on which the contractors have stopped work, include High School Hapthnard, High School Arwani, Higher Secondary School Marhama, Boys High School Anchidora, Boys High School Khayar Bijbehara, High School Dailgam, High School Wanpoh and High School Khanbal.
According to the documents, RMSA has released just Rs. 29.50 lakh for the construction of High School Hapthnard during last three years while the actual cost of the project is Rs. 49.17 lakh and the contractor claims to have completed 80% work.
Similarly for High School Arwani, it has released Rs. 22.35 lakhs out of estimated cost of Rs. 69.95 lakh. For other school buildings RMSA hasn't released more than 40% of funds.
Reports said that the contractors, despite having completed more than 80 percent civil works, haven't received fifty percent payment from Public Works Department which executes these projects.
An R&B official at Anantnag admitted that the contractors has stopped executed the works and cited the non-availability of funds a reason for the contractors' move.
"Yes it is fact. Contractors have stopped work on these school buildings because they are yet to be paid for the works they have already completed," he said, however pleaded anonymity.
"We have written to RMSA many times and made demands but it hasn't released the money yet," he revealed. One of the contractor even alleged that the officials of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) were demanding commission from them in lieu of releasing funds to Public Works Department.
However, State Project Director RMSA Tufail Mattoo, on being contacted rebutted contractors' allegation and assured that the funds to the concerned department will be released in next week.
"Why should we stop releasing money to them if the execution of these projects is taking place? After boarding meeting I will release the funds within five minutes," he said.
The scheme- Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA)-was launched in the State of Jammu & Kashmir in 2009 with the objective to enhance access to secondary education and to improve its quality. Under the scheme, government is enhancing and upgrading the infrastructure in schools across the state. |
