Several works of different deptts being dropped
Concern over splitting of tenders, duality of funding
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 31: In a big question mark on the performance of several departments, the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation Ltd (JKIDFC) has detected gaps and poor performance in the execution of many languishing projects. Moreover, it has expressed serious concern over splitting of tenders, duality of funding and delay in release of payments to the contractors.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in a recent meeting of the Corporation held to review languishing and non-initiated projects, Industries and Commerce Department submitted the list of 21 projects to be dropped from funding under JKIDFC.
It was also conveyed by the department that 30 projects will be completed till March 2021 and 24 other projects are scheduled to be completed in the financial year 2021-2022.
However, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Corporation Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who is also Financial Commissioner Finance, marked the performance of the Industries and Commerce Department as unsatisfactory and directed the officers concerned to clarify the same on file and forward the same to the Corporation.
About Jal Shakti/Irrigation and Flood Control Department, it was observed that only 50 projects have been initiated and fate of others was hanging in balance due to non-tendering of works in the first place. It was conveyed that 27 projects have been identified for dropping from funding under JKIDFC and the list includes 16 projects of PHE Jammu, three projects of PHE Kashmir and two projects of Irrigation and Flood Control Jammu, sources said.
Accordingly, the Chairman of the Corporation issued directions for convening separate review meeting with Jal Shakti/Irrigation and Flood Control Department as the performance of the department in completing these projects was below satisfaction, sources further said.
About School Education Department, it was noticed that various executing agencies are not furnishing the bills of the projects as such the department was not in a position to upload the bills of the projects on the portal. Accordingly, the Chairman of JKIDFC directed the department to enquire into physical status of all the 45 projects.
“Similarly, the Corporation noticed that works of the Tribal Affairs Department have not been tendered and rather allotted on nomination basis”, sources said, adding “taking serious note of this aspect, the Chairman has directed the department to furnish the proposal for dropping of projects before the High Powered Committee”.
As far as Health and Medical Education Department is concerned, it was conveyed that out of total 49 non-initiated projects, 36 have recently been approved by the High Powered Committee and all these have been tendered out and are in early stage of execution.
It was clarified that remaining 13 projects could not been tendered as the same are under execution by agencies like Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation, Housing Board and J&K Police Housing Corporation which have been allotted on nomination basis. To resolve this issue, the Corporation will convene separate meeting with the Health and Medical Education Department.
“The Chairman of the Corporation has directed the Tourism Department to provide physical verification of all the projects while as Floriculture Department has been asked to expedite the work on the projects, which otherwise has come to the grinding halt due to non-availability of material”, sources informed.
It was also decided to drop three projects of Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department due to land dispute, six of Power Development Department which are facing technical issues and some projects of Skill Development Department due to cost escalation.
The Chairman of the Corporation also noticed splitting a single tender into multiple tenders as a result of which the allotted work doesn’t complete in a timely manner. “The Corporation has directed the concerned departments to strictly adhere to the guidelines regarding floating of single composite tender instead of multiple tenders”, sources said.
Even duality of funding was also noticed and accordingly directions were issued for checking the same and ensuring that funds are released from single source only, they further said, adding the Chairman has stressed upon the initiation and implementation of online virtual tours of projects.
“The Chairman has further directed all the departments to ensure that the money is disbursed in a timely manner to the contractors within already stipulated time of 48 working hours and furnish mandate for viewing of bank accounts at the earliest”, sources said, adding it was also decided that amendments will be carried out in the sanction order on priority basis.
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