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| Frivolous decisions in Jammu’s Smart City! | | Amusing tale of how multi-level parking became victim of official apathy | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 5: Official records are unraveling how the much hyped Jammu’s multi-car parking facility has become a victim of official apathy as it was downgraded from 10 floor mechanized automated multilevel parking facility for accommodating 720 cars to semi-automatic one with capacity of mere 352 cars.
Documents in possession of Early Times reveal that to overcome the problem of traffic congestion and reduce the menace of roadside parking in areas of the old city, Jammu, the government proposed in August 2013 to construct a fully automatic multi-level car parking facility at an already existing open parking space accommodating around 300 cars.
Against parking requirement of 177679 cars, a draft Summary Appraisal Report (SAR) for construction of 10 floor mechanised automated multilevel parking facility for accommodating 720 cars was submitted in October 2013 by a Design and Supervision Consultant (DSC) namely M/s Shah Technical Consultants (STC), projecting it as a latest technology parking system with minimum maintenance costs, which was followed by submission in June 2014 of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for an estimated cost of Rs 70.03 crore. However, during discussions held in November 2014 with ADB Mission, the proposal was changed from fully automatic to semi-automatic on the plea that a ten floor parking system required sophisticated technology and would get outdated very soon, thereby contradicting its own statements recorded in the SAR/ DPR wherein it was proposed to construct a 10 floor mechanised automated multilevel parking system, projecting it as a latest technology system with minimum maintenance costs. Another reason stated for changing the proposal was non- availability of No Objection Certificate (NoC) from Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), which was not based on facts as the NoC for construction of the same was already accorded in July 2014 by Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), the authority competent to accord building permissions.
Thus, due to communication of incorrect information, the proposal for construction of a fully automatic mechanised car parking facility for accommodating 720 cars was changed to a semi-automatic mechanised car parking facility for 352 cars. The sub-project was completed in September 2017 by the contractor after a delay of 120 days at a total cost of Rs 47.08 crore. Further, an expenditure of Rs 0.02 crore was booked to the sub-project during the period April 2020 to September 2020, taking the total expenditure on the sub-project to Rs 47.10 crore. The government has stated that the proposal was changed in order to comply with the guidelines of ADB regarding restriction of height of car parking structure to surrounding buildings. However, the fact remains that no such guidelines were issued by ADB and the proposal was changed by ADB Mission due to misrepresentation of facts by JKERA wherein a 14 floor automatic car parking system was projected instead of a 10 floor parking system and apprehensions regarding grant of NoC for the same which, however, had already been issued by JMC well in advance. |
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