*Officers unaware of status of funds released 5 yrs back
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 20: The Jhajjar Kotli Barrage Project has been relegated to backburner by the present PDP-BJP Coalition Government despite the fact that this is of immense importance to provide recreational facilities to the people at a short distance from the winter capital. More shockingly, several officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) are unaware of the status of funds released for the project five years back.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in order to provide more facilities at Jhajjar Kotli, which is one of the nearest picnic spots for the Jammuites, the then Government had decided to construct a weir/barrage. The objective behind this decision was to make this place more attractive for the tourists as well as locals as the existing facilities were found to be grossly inadequate or not up to the mark.
Accordingly, the foundation stone of the project worth Rs 7.72 crore was laid on June 19, 2010 and the work was allotted to Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department. Even an amount of Rs 1.80 crore was released to the project executing agency in the month of March 2012.
However, till date work has not been started on the much-needed project by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation despite the fact that resentment has been conveyed to the present Government both inside and outside the State Legislature a number of times over the dilly-dallying approach.
While JKPCC has put the ball in the court of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as far as delay in start of the work is concerned, the latter is of the opinion that any issue in the project could have been resolved had there been any serious efforts by the Government or JKPCC, sources further said.
The NHAI had raised objections on the ground that barrage would create geological problems in the area and may damage infrastructure like the road and bridge. Accordingly, NHAI had suggested change in the location proposed in the Detailed Project Report, sources said, adding “what happened thereafter is not known and neither JKPCC nor NHAI is in a position to specify as to where the project had struck and why no efforts were made to clear the bottlenecks”.
“It is a matter of concern that no seriousness is being shown towards the project which otherwise is of immense importance especially when the picnic spot becomes isolated following construction of new highway”, sources regretted.
Most shockingly, the authorities of Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation are unaware of the status of funds released for this particular project. “May be the funds have been diverted for any other scheme or returned to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department”, an officer of JKPCC said when contacted.
“As far as start of work on the project is concerned, Government has to take final call in the light of objections raised by NHAI”, he said in response to a question.
However, Project Director of NHAI M T Attarde, when contacted, expressed ignorance about any such project and said, “since January 2016 when I took over the present assignment I have not heard anything about this project from J&K Government. Moreover, nobody approached us on the subject since then”.
He, at the same time, said that any issue in the project could have been resolved had JKPCC or any other agency approached NHAI.
“Though it is stated in the official meetings that Union Tourism Ministry has sanctioned a project for development of tourist facilities at Jhajjar Kotli but when the work will commence is not known”, sources further said.
Commenting on abandoning of the much-needed project, Member of Legislative Assembly from Nagrota Devender Singh Rana said, “I had raised this issue in the House during the Budget Session early this year but no concrete reply was given by the Government”, adding “it seems that project has been relegated to the backburner by the Government”.
“Like other projects this is also important for tourist attraction and providing recreational facilities to the Jammuites at nearest possible place”, he said, adding “if there were objections from the NHAI the same could have been resolved after discussions and changes in the Detailed Project Report but Government has completely ignored the project”.
When his attention was drawn towards unknown status of funds, the MLA said, “if the funds have been diverted or returned then it is a very serious issue and needs to be looked into by the Government”.
“The Chief Minister had also directed the Chief Secretary during the District Development Board meeting of Jammu to identify place for rehabilitation of shopkeepers of Nandni, whose livelihood has suffered severe blow due to construction of new highway but till date nothing has been done on this issue also”, Rana said and demanded that efforts should be made to give practical shape to Jhajjar Kotli project.
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