*Crores spent on infrastructures development without alternate power system
Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 10: The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council is patting its back over the construction of Indoor Halls at every district with worth four crores each but unfortunately, the higher rung officials of the premier body and its engineering wing reportedly finalised the Detail Project Reports (DPRs) of these buildings without any alternative power system (Generator).
Now, the premier body once again hired a Delhi based company for installing the nearly 28 Generator sets at every Indoor Halls including Indoor halls of MA Stadium with worth Rs 1.50 crores. “Although, these facilities should be incorporated within the DPRs, prepared by the executing agencies before the allotment of the works for execution and now the question arises that how is responsible for this faulty DPRs, the reasons best known to the authority concerned” said sources who is close to the Central Secretariat of the Council.
Sources further said that the Council had allotted the installation of Generator sets in all the Indoor halls across J&K in the month of April and decided three months deadline for the completion of the project, but till date not a single Generator has been installed so far, consequently the indoor sports activities are badly affected due to non availability of alternate power facility.
“On one hand, the Council in collaboration with respective Sports Associations has been organising day and night tournaments but on other hand due to absence of alternate power facility, the sports activities have been stopped whenever electricity goes off during the tournaments,” said a coach while wishing anonymity.
The Council could have saved worth Rs 1.5 crores of public exchequer and the same could be used to other sports activities if the officials of the Council took timely decision of installation of Generator sets in every Indoor halls across the J&K before finalisation of the DPRs of the projects.
“Before the allotment of any works to any agency, the Council first invites technical bid and then financial bid and also during the bidding process, the shortlisted executing agencies were asked to formulate the DPRs regarding the project, followed by third party bid organised to finalise the design, outline and drawing of the project,” said an engineer of the Council, adding, “I am surprised that how the Council’s experts team as well as higher rung official have missed the installation of Generator sets in the Indoor halls during the process of design finalised which is considered to be part of the any Indoor hall,” he added.
Even while preparing DPRs, the executing agency of any project has recommended how to maintain the building in future and also recommended requisite manpower requirements for the functioning of the building and other allied works, he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the year of 2016, the Central Government had sanctioned more than Rs 400 crores package including Rs 88 crores for construction of 22 Indoor Halls in every district of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Prime Ministers Development Package (PMDP), besides nearly Rs 8 crores had been sanctioned for the construction of a new Indoor hall at MA Stadium under languishing project by J&K Government but all the Indoor halls have been built without any alternate power system.
The Council’s engineering wing head, X-En DP Singh refused to share information regarding the company which has been hired to install Generator sets in the halls and cited that it is clear cut instructions from the higher officials not to disclose any information regarding the projects without my permission.
On being asked to disclose the name of the officials who issued the order for hiding information from the public, X-En concerned disconnected the phone call.
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