CE expresses ignorance, puts ball in subordinates’ court
*Medical College deprived of dedicated engineering wing
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 23: Even after being reprimanded for its unprofessional approach, the Roads and Buildings Department has not shown seriousness towards the directives on the issues confronting the Government Medical College Jammu and upcoming Bone and Joint Hospital. Most shockingly, the Chief Engineer is completely ignorant about the detailed deliberations held in this regard few months back to ensure fast pacing of the developmental works.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on July 26, 2021, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu Dr Raghav Langer convened a meeting to review the physical and financial progress of the ongoing health infrastructure projects in the Government Medical College Jammu and its Associated Hospitals and accordingly passed explicit directives to the Roads and Buildings Department Jammu for prompt action.
As the completion of projects have already been delayed from the actual time line of completion, the Divisional Commissioner expressed displeasure and accordingly directed the Chief Engineer R&B Jammu to accelerate the pace of work and ensure completion within set timeline.
The Chief Engineer was directed to make an enquiry about the causes/reasons for delay of these projects and asked for issuance of penalty notices to the contractors, who are accountable for delay in the execution of works.
However, despite lapse of several months neither any inquiry ordered nor penalty notices issued to the contractors for the reasons best known to the concerned engineers of the R&B Department, sources informed, adding “now, it is claimed that contractors still have time to complete the works within the latest deadline as such there is no need of any inquiry or penalty notices despite the fact that due to delay in the completion of projects the people by and large have been deprived of vital facilities”.
Further, direction was issued to the Chief Engineer R&B Department to prepare the Detailed Project Report in respect of Phase-II of Bone and Joint Hospital especially in the light of the fact that Phase-I is expected to be completed by end of March next year.
“Though the Detailed Project Report has been prepared yet it has not received the approval from the Administrative Department as a result of which no date can be specified for the start of work on Phase-II of the Bone and Joint Hospital”, sources further informed.
During the course of discussion in the meeting, the Principal Government Medical College Jammu and other participants had unanimously projected a demand about the need of developing connectivity between Government Medical College Jammu to Superspeciality Hospital, Chest Diseases Hospital and Bone and Joint Hospital in the interest of patient care activities.
Accordingly, the Divisional Commissioner had directed the Chief Engineer R&B Department Jammu to engage consultants to develop connectivity plan like subway within all these hospitals for easy access and put up the same for appraisal of higher authorities. However, no step has been initiated to give practical shape to the direction even after the lapse of several months, sources said.
When contacted, Chief Engineer R&B Jammu Manzoor Hussain expressed ignorance about the directives issued by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu on the pretext that he has assumed the charge of the post recently. “The information is not readily available with me….it is better to contact the concerned Executive Engineers”, he said.
The response of the Chief Engineer is notwithstanding the fact that in the meeting chaired by the Divisional Commissioner the R&B Department was reprimanded for being unprofessional and contractor friendly. How R&B Chief Engineer can be ignorant about the vital projects which are being executed right under his immediate command remains a million dollar question.
Meanwhile, Government Medical College Jammu has been deprived of dedicated engineering wing as entire manpower of the Tawi Bridge-cum-Medical College Division Jammu has been transferred to Jammu Municipal Corporation and responsibility of works worth crores of rupees has been assigned to R&B Division-II.
“Only few Junior Engineers of the erstwhile Tawi Bridge-cum-Medical College Division have been asked to look after the works of Medical College but in view of the multiple assignments in the Jammu Municipal Corporation they are finding it difficult to do justice with the ongoing works in the Medical College”, sources said and stressed that Government Medical College Jammu should be provided dedicated engineering wing.
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