While economic prudence and the principle of optimal utilization suggest that we should embark upon effective management of resources and minimize wastages as much as possible and avoid losses by all means, it also means that when scarce capital is spent on projects, there should be no space for any over running or overshooting of costs. Perhaps, unluckily in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, this cardinal truth about inputs and costs is conveniently set aside or relegated to the background as the cause behind it is utter deficiency of coordination between different agencies and absence of ownership of responsibilities.
When a whooping amount of Rs. 26000 crore is found out as having just gone down the gutters in sheer wastage in the shape of overshooting of costs in respect of various projects falling under central sector in Jammu and Kashmir, at once a trailer of whose money in fact got washed away comes flashing in front of our imaginations. None else’s than the tax payers’ money it is. Very often, most of us talk about facilities and the levels of development of other countries but just for our convenience, sans the levels of accountability and owning responsibilities prevalent in those countries.
No coordination and sense of accountability between different executing agencies including between the State and the Central Governments not for a year or so, but for full 16 years have resulted in central sector projects worth Rs 40000 crore getting into an unpredictable and ambivalent mode. Out of these projects, just two are facing cost overrun of nearly Rs 26000 crore.
Projects like 1000 Mega Watt Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project, Transmission System associated with Alusteng Srinagar, Dras Kargil Khalsti – Leh project, Udhampur Baramulla Railway line, Qazigund-Banihal road project, four lane Udhampur Ramban section of National Highway and others are facing delays as well cost escalations.
What are the impediments and the encumbrances that have resulted in such shoddy state of affairs, knowing about those is no uphill task as just even a cursory peep would reveal — slow pace of work, lack of coordination between the State and the Central Governments, failure of State Government in resolving issues ancillary to the projects of local nature that create humps and the like. Above all, the main cause is “everyone’s responsibility turned into no one’s responsibility.”
The breakup of cost escalation due to inordinate delays and snail’s pace of work in respect of each project is worked out as also the original date of commissioning of some of the most important projects as well as anticipated dates too have been drawn which though, due to space constraints cannot be enumerated here, but nevertheless, these factors speak very poor about the levels of accountability as also the seriousness of the purpose displayed by the executing agencies. We would like the concerned authorities both at State as well as Central levels to at least coordinate now in a cohesive way to ensure the projects pick up speed and tempo of work so that the revised time frames are adhered to in totality. The State Government needs to show keen zeal and enthusiasm since the benefits of the projects are to be reaped by the State.
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