Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 27: Finding themselves in the dock after the District Magistrate Reasi initiated criminal proceedings under Section 133 CrPC for pitiable condition of three major roads of the district, the officers of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) have agreed to pay very shortly Rs 35 crore land compensation, which was pending for the past more than eight years. It has also given an undertaking for initiating construction of roads including blacktopping of Reasi-Mahore stretch within a week’s time and maintenance of Katra-Reasi stretch.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in reference to summons issued by District Magistrate Reasi, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and criminal proceedings initiated against its Chief Engineer, U C Mehta, the Director General of Border Roads Organization, Lt General A T Parnaik has sent a written communication to the Chief Secretary, Mohd Iqbal Khandey explaining the status of Katra-Domail, Katra-Reasi and Reasi-Arnas-Mahore Roads, reasons for delays in completion of work and steps planned to address the concerns of the district administration.
About the 24 kilometers long Katra-Reasi road, the DG BRO has informed the Chief Secretary that out of the total length the development of stretch from KM 0 to KM 13 has been completed and the tenders for the pavement works from KM 13 to KM 24 were under consideration of Headquarters after clearance from Defence Finance, sources said.
“As the contractor has refused to extend validity of the tenders on the ground of steep hike in the prices of bitumen and other materials, the DG has conveyed to the Chief Secretary that Project Sampark has been asked to invite fresh tenders and the same will be finalized within next four months”, sources further said.
Lt Gen Parnaik, however, has informed that the Project Sampark has been advised to carry out regular maintenance to minimize user discomfort to possible extent, sources added.
About Reasi-Arnas-Mahore road, where frequent road accidents are taking place because of its pitiable condition, the DB BRO has maintained that due to heavy rainfall in last two months the work on this road was delayed and now directions have been issued for immediate restoration and maintenance works till black topping is initiated, sources informed.
Addressing the concerns of Deputy Commissioner regarding land compensation on account of acquisition of land and buildings for Reasi-Arnas-Mahore and Reasi-Pouni Road, the DG has informed that estimates for land compensation to the tune of Rs 25.62 crore for Reasi-Mahore road and Rs 8.67 crore for Reasi-Pouni road are under process of sanction and Project Sampark has been advised to place the same at the disposal of Deputy Commissioner Reasi immediately after sanction, which is likely very shortly, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Deputy Commissioner had issued a notice to DG BRO for Rs 45 crore compensation within a week’s time. “The remaining amount will be processed in near future as assured by the DG BRO to the Chief Secretary”, sources added.
As far as Domail-Katra road is concerned, the DG BRO has stated that re-carpeting of the stretch from KM 0 to KM 10 has been approved and the tender action for the same was in progress. “The DPR for strengthening of the stretch from KM 10 to KM 14.97, which suffered distress, was processed to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on January 13, 2010 and has been revised and re-submitted based on Ministry’s observation”, sources said quoting DG BRO’s communiqué.
Lt Gen Parnaik has also conveyed that in the meeting held on September 5, 2013 at Ministry it has been decided that this road is to be handed over to the Public Works Department of J&K Government as such the process in this regard should be set in motion by the J&K Government at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Chief Engineer BRO, U C Mehta appeared before the Court of District Magistrate Reasi and submitted compliance report in response to conditional order issued under Section 133 CrPC by the DM.
After going through the status report and in the light of undertaking given by the BRO about start of work on the Reasi-Mahore road within a week’s time, the District Magistrate dropped criminal proceedings against Chief Engineer.
However, the Officer Commanding 104 RCC and 110 RCC have been arrayed as respondents in the case and they have been directed to file weekly status reports. Chief Engineer BRO has also assured that nuisance by way of dust and lack of drainage will be removed immediately as 4 more water tankers have been pressed into action and men and machinery deployed for drainage.
“This is for the first time ever since the start of work on these three major roads of Reasi district that such a pressure was built on the Border Road Organization in order to ensure that there is no further delay in completion of work and difficulties being faced by the people are brought to an end”, sources said.
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