EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sept 3: Thanks to dilatory mode of functioning of Jammu and Kashmir’s past regimes, the liability cost incurred due to the pendency of scores of developmental projects has swollen to thousands of crores, putting an inexplicable burden on the public purse in more ways than one.
The details available with Early Times newspaper reveal that there are six projects of Public Works Department (PWD), 41 projects of PHE and six projects of PDD divisions, the cost was revised upwards by a whooping Rs 224.92 crores. However, there were no specific reasons given over the revising of the costs of the pending projects.
The documents reveal that for public works in Jammu region of the state, the number of incomplete projects was 574, sanctioned at the cost of Rs 2452.69 crores, The cost was later revised to the tune of Rs 2518.93 crores, resulting in the extra expenditure of Rs 1328.10 crores.
In the Power Development Department Jammu, the total number of incomplete projects was 30 for which Rs 525.29 crores were sanctioned. Owing to the incompletion of these projects, their costs were later revised to Rs 655.53 crores, resulting in an extra expenditure of Rs 401.16 crores.
In Public Health Engineering Jammu, the total number of incomplete projects was 56 in number. These projects were sanctioned at the cost of Rs 81.92 crores. The cost of these projects was revised to Rs 110.36, hence the extra expenditure incurred upon these projects of PHE was Rs 69.63 crore.
In the department of Irrigation and Flood Control Kashmir, there were 11 incomplete projects, sanctioned at the cost of Rs 77.48 crore.
Meanwhile, be it the construction of roads, bridges or building power infrastructure, delay has become synonymous to the functioning in Jammu and Kashmir. In the power sector, upgrade of transmission lines and construction of several hydel power projects were earlier obstructed. Two years ago, work on the 850-MW Ratle project on Chenab river at Drabshalla in Kishtwar district was stopped as those who were accorded the project stated that the "atmosphere around the site was insecure.'' The company was forced to do this after people entered its site offices "and harassed the staff demanding employment. At present even, the snail’s pace of work on this multi crore project is raising several eyebrows in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Official reports reveal that Raj Bhavan has viewed the scenario seriously and has asked the concerned departments to submit the action taken report within a stipulated time and also mention the measures taken by these concerned departments over addressing the issue of swollen costs of the projects that have been kept in limbo due to one or the other reason. |
