JKIDFC to revise timelines after improvement in situation
*Physical verification of completed works too gets delayed
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 8: Over 1000 languishing projects of different sectors which were financed by the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) have failed to meet the deadlines due to one after another lockdown imposed to check spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in this Union Territory.
Moreover, because of the prevailing situation even the physical verification of all those projects which were completed before imposition of restrictions on movement could not be carried out by the concerned Government departments.
In a meeting held on November 8, 2019 under the chairmanship of Financial Commissioner (Finance) Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, it was revealed that as many as 1077 languishing projects financed by the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) and being executed by various departments will be completed in all respect by ending March 2020 or in the first week of April 2020.
Dr Mehta, who is also Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of the Corporation, had even insisted on providing photographs signifying the physical progress of each ongoing project to the Corporation. Moreover, he had stressed on making timely payments for achieving maximum progress besides making physical verification of the ongoing projects to correlate it with the commitments made by the departments.
While advising the officials to accelerate the pace of work to meet the committed deadlines of ending March 2020 or first week of April 2020, the Financial Commissioner Finance had even asked the participants to dedicate the completed projects to the people soon after their completion.
However, over 1000 projects have failed to meet the deadlines because of situation created by the COVID-19, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “though work on majority of these projects was nearing completion but imposition of restrictions on the movement of men and machinery in the month of March led to stalling of work”.
“Work ranging between 10% and 20% is left in respect of most of the projects, which were scheduled to be completed by ending March or in the first week of April this year”, they further said, adding “even those projects which were completed in all respects could not be dedicated to the people because of the prevailing situation”.
They further disclosed that even physical inspection of the already done work could not be conducted in respect of large number of projects in view of restrictions on the movement of Government officials not connected with the essential services.
“No doubt situation created by COVID-19 has left adverse impact on all the developmental works-be it mega projects or minor works but completion of languishing projects was of much importance as their fate is hanging in balance during the past many years thereby depriving people of benefit of huge investment made so far”, sources said.
Pointing towards the relaxations given in respect of some developmental works in the light of the instructions issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, sources stressed that administration of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory must work out mechanism for restart work on the languishing projects so that there is no further delay in their completion.
When contacted, a senior officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Develo-pment Finance Corporation admitted that several projects could not be completed within the specified time-frames because of sudden situation created by COVID-19.
“After improvement in the situation we will assess the progress made till the imposition of lockdown and thereafter revise the deadlines for each project with the strict instructions to the concerned departments to complete the work as expeditiously as possible”, he said in response to a question.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the meeting of November 8, 2019, it was revealed that out of about 800 projects of Public Health Engineering Department, 422 would be completed by ending March 2020 and Power Development Department would complete around 165 projects till that time.
Similarly, it was stated that Public Works Department would complete some 170 projects including 65 bridges till ending March 2020 while as Youth Services and Sports Department will ensure completion of 77 projects, Health Department 55 projects, Technical Education 20 projects and Housing and Industries Departments 48 projects.
All these projects are of great public importance and once completed would create immense changes in easing the day to day lives of general public.
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