Sanctioned over 3 yrs back, 150 works yet to be awarded
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 9: In a grave injustice with the vast population residing in far-off areas, the work on over 1400 kilometer road length sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana four years back is still pending due to absolute non-seriousness on the part of the concerned authorities. Moreover, 150 works which were sanctioned over three years back have yet not been awarded for execution much to the disappointment of the Union Government.
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched by the Government of India to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations as a part of poverty reduction strategy. However, due to the dilly-dallying approach of the State Government vast population continues to remain deprived of the benefit of the scheme.
This can be gauged from the dismal picture vis-à-vis execution of works painted by the Performance Review Committee of the Union Ministry of Rural Development, which held deliberations on all the aspects relating to implementation of PMGSY in Jammu and Kashmir few days back.
As per the guidelines of PMGSY, the works are required to be completed within 12, 18 and 24 months as the case may be. However, in Jammu and Kashmir this time-line is not being strictly adhered to by the concerned authorities.
The Performance Review Committee has pointed out that the work on 1431.44 kilometers road length, which was sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Rural Development more than four years back, has not been completed till date thereby depriving the inhabitants of rural and far-off areas of the benefit of the major scheme of the Union Government, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Conveying resentment over this to the R&B Department and Engineers engaged for PMGSY, the Performance Review Committee has directed the State to prepare Project Implementation Unit (PIU) wise monthly completion plan to be reviewed every fortnight at the level of Chief Engineer of State Rural Road Development Agency to ensure that such works are completed as expeditiously as possible, sources said while disclosing that J&K is on the top of the list of those States which are dilly-dallying on completion of works.
“Moreover, 150 works which were sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Rural Development during the last three years have yet not been awarded for execution by the concerned authorities of Jammu and Kashmir”, sources said quoting the observations of the Performance Review Committee, adding the Union Ministry has issued directions for award of all sanctioned works by ending December this year after signing of agreements as per the guidelines of the scheme.
The Performance Review Committee has also painted dismal picture vis-à-vis achieving of physical target during the current financial year which was fixed by the Union Ministry of Rural Development at the beginning of the financial year 2017-18 on the basis of sanctioned works and the execution capacity of the State, sources said.
“J&K has achieved 25% to 50% of the target till date”, they said, adding “in view of this the Ministry has directed the State Government to enhance execution capacity to cover up the backlog of the target during the current financial year and furnish monthly targets for the next four months to assess and review the situation in an effective manner”.
It has also been pointed out by the Performance Review Committee that J&K has yet not notified State Rural Roads Maintenance Policy despite numerous directions on the subject by the Union Rural Development Ministry during the past several years. “Though the Committee has directed for notification of policy by ending this year yet there are grim chances for implementation of this direction as even spade work has not been conducted on this aspect so far by the concerned authorities of the State”, sources said.
“It is a matter of serious concern that no serious step has so far been initiated by the State Government to ensure that concerned authorities strictly meet the guidelines of PMGSY and act timely on the instructions issued by the Union Rural Development Ministry”, sources said, adding “had serious attention been paid towards all the aspects work on over 1400 kilometers of road length could not have been pending”.
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