Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 1: Project for construction of Parking facilities at Jammu’s Panjthirthi was taken up under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation from 2015 to 2017. However, due to the selection of an unsuitable site, an expenditure of Rs 35.16 lakh was wasted.
As per the documents in possession of Early Times Newspaper, the JMC had initially engaged in the financial year of 2015-16, a firm namely M/s Bharat Analytic House Pvt. Ltd., Jammu for conducting the geotechnical investigation of the site for construction of this sub-project.
The firm reported in the month of June 2015 that the proposed site was developed as a dumping area for more than 25 years. Although it was known that the site was a dumping ground, the same site was proposed by Jammu Municipal Corporation in the month of April 2015 to SLCC in July 2016 for taking up as a parking project under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The SLCC approved in April 2017 project and the work was allotted in June 2017 by the Jammu Municipal Corporation to the contractor at a cost of Rs 26.20 crore, to be completed in two years.
Records reveal further that another consultant was engaged in the month of August 2016 on a nomination basis, for providing the designs and drawings and was paid Rs12.07 lakh between September 2017 and February 2018. The contractor was not able to start the work after allotment due to the non-submission of working drawings by the consultant.
Further, the Chief Engineer, Design, Inspections, and Quality Control Department, Jammu, also advised in April 2018 to get the geological investigation of the site done which was conducted in May/ June 2018 by a separate Consultant namely M/s Ishan Calibration, Jammu at a cost of Rs 13.69 lakh. The Geological Consultant reported in June 2018 that the site was filled with mixed waste material up to 16 meters and suggested putting the pit foundation at a minimum of five meters below the filling area. Reports reveal further that the Joint Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation eventually proposed in August 2018 for the cancellation of the contract, due to a probable increase of cost on new items of work necessitated by the deficiencies in the selected site.
The site included two terraces with sloped surface area (40 percent of total area), and the initial estimate of the project was prepared to assume Soil Bearing Capacity (SBC) in a plain area and no geo-tech investigation was carried out in the sloped part of the land comprising waste fill in the material. The Jammu Municipal Corporation had initially incurred in August 2017 an expenditure of Rs 9.40 lakh for shifting utilities from the site. Thus, due to the selection of an unsuitable site, an expenditure of Rs 35.16 lakh incurred till January 2019 on Preliminary expenses and shifting of utilities, was rendered wasteful. Records reveal that on shifting of utilities Rs 9.40 lakh were incurred while as on total of consultancy services Rs 25.76 lakh were spent. |
