Contracting agency reluctant to resume work as R&B fails to clear Rs 15 cr liability
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 7: The longest bridge in Northern India over river Chenab at Pargwal in Khour Sub Division of Jammu district, bordering Pakistan is unlikely to meet the deadline of March 2021 as even after the passage of two years and two months, hardly 25 % work has been executed on it while the contracting agency is reluctant to resume work after March 2020 lock down as R&B failed to clear its Rs 15 crore liability.
Official sources told the `Excelsior’ that work on this vital bridge was started in September 2018 by the contracting agency, a joint venture of M/s VKG & Associates and M/s MBZ Constructions based at Chandigarh. The PW(R&B) Department is monitoring the over all works of this bridge. As per the agreement, the J&K Government has given 30 months time to the joint venture companies to complete the work. And as per the agreement, the deadline is March 2021.
But unfortunately, the progress of work on this very vital bridge as per defence point of view, has been going on at snails pace. There is no proper monitoring of this bridge by the senior officers at the helm of affairs. An if the pace of work remained the same, the bridge is unlikely to be completed even after five more years. It is surprising to observe that the R&B authorities have avoided the mandatory, third party monitoring by any independent agency having expertise in the field for this important road bridge, in violation of MoRTH guidelines.
While the senior engineers of the R&B Department Jammu, connected with the project have attributed the delay in the execution of work to the slow flow of funds for this CRF aided project, the locals of the area have claimed that the contracting agency staff and workers who left the site before lock down in March 2020, were not seen executing work since then. Only a few watchmen/ supervisors of the company are seen there at the site besides machinery. The work has been totally abandoned and not resumed till today. The contracting agency is reluctant to resume work as it is demanding payment of the executed works, sources added.
As already projected by the ‘Excelsior’ this longest bridge in Northern India, considered to be very vital as per defence point of view, being constructed over river Chenab In Pargwal area of Akhnoor Sector under Central Road Fund (CRF), was initially expected to be completed by March 2021 as the agency R&B was quite hopeful to meet the given deadline by the Government. With the completion and commissioning of this 1640 mts concrete double-lane bridge, over 40 villages and nearly three dozens of hamlets of the Pargwal area which is exposed to frequent Pakistani firing from two sides and one side from river Chenab, will have direct connectivity to the Khour Sub Divisional headquarters.
The people of this area were struggling for the last over three decades for the construction of this bridge. During Pakistani shelling, only one single road connecting Pargwal with Jammu-Akhnoor highway at Suyya No. I, serves as life line for the people. But some times this population of over 25, 000 souls remains cut off during heavy shelling from Pakistani side as this only road is closer to border at several points and this bridge would provide them a vital outlet at the time of crisis. The bridge would also reduce the distance between Pargwal and Khour Tehsil/Sub- Divisional headquarters from 55 kms to hardly 14 kms.
Sources said there will be 40 piers of this double- lane 12 mts wider bridge, having 1.5 mt foot paths on both sides. The total height of the pier will be 38 ft while 26 ft will remain in the river bed. Each span will have 42 mts length. The flow of funds was slow on the project for the over one year which has resulted into slow pace of work on it, sources added.
The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had sanctioned this 1640 mt long bridge project worth Rs 206 crore on January 18, 2016. The work was authorised by the State R&B department to the JKPCC on April 16, 2016. As per the CRF guidelines, national e-tender was issued but the JKPCC failed to finalise the tenders and wasted nearly two years in the process. Then again the Government asked R&B Department to take up the work and float new tenders.
Executive Engineer, R&B Division No. III, Jammu, Balbir Singh, who is directly connected with the work of this bridge when contacted said that since March 2020, the work on this bridge has been suspended due to lock down over Covid-19. He said the workers left for their respective places. This is also one of the reasons of delay.
Citing another reason of delay, the Executive Engineer said that flow of funds from Union Government has remained very slow during this year. There is liability worth Rs 15 crores of the contracting agency. They are reluctant to resume work. The matter was taken up with the higher authorities and some amount (Rs 3.91 cr) has been released recently. The agency people have now agreed to resume work, he added.
When asked whether agency would be able to complete the work within given deadline that is March 2021, Singh said, ” It is not possible to meet the dead line under given circumstances. They have now been given December 2021 deadline. Till now, hardly 25-30 % work has been executed. If the adequate funds were provided regularly, the work is likely to be completed by December next year,” the R&B XEn claimed.
On being asked if any third party independent monitoring agency has been hired by the J&K R&B authorities for this important bridge, the XEn said R&B department was itself monitoring the work and there was no need of any such agency. He further said that joint venture of two construction companies from Chandigarh having good expertise in the field has managed the bridge contract worth Rs 119.67 crores. There will be 3 kms and 600 mtrs approach roads on both sides besides some protection works.
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