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| Will admin probe how UP-based firm bagged contract? | | Construction of 7 hostel buildings under PMDP | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 21: In Jammu and Kashmir, the construction of seven girls' hostel buildings under Prime Minister's Development Programme is going on at a snail's pace despite availability of funds.
According to sources, the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board, the executing agency, has allotted the contract of constructing these hostels to a UP-based firm. However, the firm has sublet works, affecting the pace of work.
Documents available with Early Times reveal that contract of constructing seven hostel buildings was given to B.B. Infrastructure Projects Private Limited in 2017, which was protested by local.
"Contractors were silenced at that time and conveyed that the firm will adopt pre-engineered concept and the buildings will be constructed on pre-engineered basis. However it turned out to be a hoax," sources said.
Contractors fear that the Higher Education department might have changed the executing agency and given the contract of constructing hostels to Jammu and Kashmir Police Housing Corporation.
"These days we are getting nothing. Every project is being handed over to Jammu and Kashmir Police Housing Corporation and we fear they might take this one from us also," a group of contractors said. Tassaduq Geealani, MD Housing Board, however, assured that construction of hostels will be completed within the stipulated time.
On 30-05-2017, the Higher Education department vide order No. HE/Plan/Ach/2017 authorized Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board to start construction of the hostel buildings and on the same day through another order (298/HE/2017 dated 30-05-2017) Rs 10 crore was released to the Housing Board.
Under PMDP, Rs 50 crore was allocated for construction of girls hostels in seven degree colleges of the state. The girls hostels have been approved for GDC Paloura, GDC Thathri, GDC Rajouri, GDC Bemina, GCW Kupwara, GCW Pulwama, GDC Kargil/Leh.
Last year, construction of hostel buildings was stopped due to unknown reasons. Later, Higher Education Department lobbied hard to get the executing agency changed, however couldn't.
For 2017-18 financial year, the central government had approved an amount of Rs 105.41 Crore for creation/ completion of buildings for various Government Degree Colleges of the State. This includes Rs 16.10 Crore approved for construction/ completion of 11 Model Degree Colleges; Rs 20.36 Crore approved for construction/ completion of 20 Degree Colleges sanctioned under State Plan; Rs 14.39 Crore approved for construction/ completion of 10 Degree Colleges sanctioned under Phase 2nd of the Prime Minister's Re-construction Plan (PMRP-II).
Rs 47.88 Crore has been approved for creation of additional infrastructure viz additional classrooms/auditoriums/libraries/laboratories etc in the existing Degree Colleges.
Now the million dollar question is whether the Governor's administration initiate a probe to find out why a UP-based firm was allotted the contract out of turn and did the Housing Board float norms in allotting the contract to the firm. |
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