news details |
|
|
| Financial bungling in construction of Zorawar Singh auditorium ’ | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Vaibhavi Chandel
JAMMU, Nov 4:
The magnificent and well maintained Zorawar Singh Auditorium in the University Campus, first of its kind in the state or perhaps in north India, has become hub of activity .
But the unplanned execution of construction works of the high tech Zorawar Singh auditorium in the University of Jammu resulted in a cost overrun of about Rs 5 crore.
This has been pointed out in an official document pertaining to various expenditures by the university authorities .
It is worth mentioning that for development of infrastructure in JU, one time financial grant of Rs 30 crore under the prime minister’s package was approved in March 2004 out of which Rs 20 crore was immediately released.
The proposal of the university to construct the auditorium complex housing art gallery, museum, seminar room cafeteria at a cost of Rs 14.09 crore was approved.
The document points out that the construction work that was taken up November 2004 remained incomplete for a long time although a sum of Rs 18.90 crore was spent.
It has been pointed out that in respect of various components including civil works, electrification, furniture, architect fees, air conditioning, sound reinforcement, escalator that excess expenditure was incurred.
The document says “unapproved works amounting Rs 1.67 crore were executed. These include freight elevator, electric sub station, generator sets and land scape lighting”.
The document has further indicated that the project was delayed right from the beginning as the Delhi based contractor whom the civil works were allotted in October 2004 for being completed within 12 months, was unable to start the work till mid 2005 because of non availability of drawings of the structure.
Frequent changes in the design caused huge excess of cost over and above the advertised allotted quantities. In civil works alone, it ranged between 17 and 850 percent above which caused extra expenditure of Rs 1.74 crore. While the advertised quantity of earth work was 9752 cubic meters, but in actual terms earth work involving 40,972 cubic meters was executed. This alone resulted extra expenditure of Rs 19, 24,302.
Against the advertised quantity of 66750 Kgs of structural steel in actual, 195000 Kgs was used.
The document says that there was extra expenditure of Rs 54.49 lakhs in works related to sanitary fittings, fire fighting equipments and electrical fittings.
It may be recalled that the Zorawar Singh auditorium was inaugurated on March 28 in the year 2007 by the then governor of the state S K Sinha. The auditorium was completed during the tenure of Professor Amitabh Mattoo, former vice chancellor of the University of Jammu.
The auditorium has hosted a large number of important functions including the oath taking ceremony of the chief minister Omar Abdullah.
Having the seating capacity of 1500, auditorium has one of the most spacious halls in Jammu region.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
