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| Tourism department violates sanction order, outsources assets without approval | | Swadesh Darshan drains JK exchequer | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 24: The much important government of India sponsored tourism project namely Swadesh Darshan has proved to be a flop show- thanks to the lack of seriousness of the babus of Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Documents reveal that two cafeterias at Tourist Reception Centre, Poonch and Nature park, Rajouri were completed in the financial year of 2018-19 at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore. However, as per condition (8) of the sanction order of September 2016 issued by the GoI, the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir should undertake the responsibility for maintenance and management of assets created under the project.
A number of assets like Tourist Information Center, Tourist Cafeteria, Gender-based Toilets, etc. were to be created under the project which required staff like cooks, waiters, receptionists etc. Audit scrutiny of records of three implementing agencies-Dy. Director (M&W) Jammu, Rajouri Development Authority and Poonch Development Authority-revealed that the Department did not formulate any plan for operation and management of assets. The official documents in possession of Early Times revealed that the Department had not undertaken any action plan for skill development/ training programmes under the project.
The government in its defense over such an issue has stated that some of the completed assets had already been outsourced and the Department was formulating policy for operation and management of all assets including those created under the PMDP (Swadesh Darshan).
However, the scrutiny of records revealed that two Development Authorities in Rajouri and Poonch outsourced the Tourist Cafeterias to private contractors for operation and management in contravention of the conditions of sanction order. In reply, the CEO Poonch Development Authority has submitted that as per instructions of the Secretary to Government, Tourism Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir completed assets had to be put to outsourcing for maintenance and operation as there was a shortage of trained staff for running assets.
The fact remains that outsourcing of assets was also not successful as in the case of Poonch Tourist Reception Center rent of Rs 28 lakh for the years 2014 to 2019 was outstanding against the contractors. The CEO, Rajouri Development Authority has stated that assets were outsourced as per instructions dated February 2019 of the Administrative Department. However, there were instances where the contractors had not paid rent of assets outsourced to them and the Department had not formulated plans for operation/ management and maintenance of assets created under the project, as specified in the sanction order of the project. |
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