Contractors suffering due to delay, lack of staff
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 8: The PHE Division Baramulla is giving headaches to the contractors as it has failed to upload the interim security deposit claims of the projects that have served the Defect Liability Period (DLP) on the JKIMS portal.
It is to be noted here that on December 2, 2022, the J&K Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) Ltd issued a circular, asking the concerned to upload the interim security deposit claims for the projects whose DLP is over or is about to be over.
However, despite the passage of over a month now, the claims have not been uploaded by the PHE Division Baramulla due to which the contractors are suffering while the officials at the said Division are also turning a deaf ear to the repeated requests of the contractors who are seeking compliance to the directives issued by the JKIDFC.
The contractors told Excelsior that the security deposit remains withheld till the completion of the works and once the DLP period is over, the department is bound to release the same and this time, they said, it was to be done by uploading the interim security deposit JKIMS portal so that the same is cleared. “But so far, it has not been done with the result we are suffering,” the contractors said.
A contractor who wished not to be named said that he has executed works to the tune of Rs 2.5 Cr under JJM said that he has nearly Rs 25 lakhs pending with the department as an interim security deposit.
“If they would have uploaded the same on the portal, I would have received the money which I could have used to take up other works; but due to inefficiency and lethargic approach of the authorities, we are suffering,” he said.
The contractors said that the concerned Nodal Officer who has been directed to ensure compliance with the JKIDFC directives was needlessly delaying the process with the result, they said, the claims are yet to be uploaded on the portal since December last year.
While the official who is tasked to upload the interim security deposit did not respond to repeated calls, the Executive Engineer, PHE Division Baramulla Masood Ahmad told Excelsior that he was not aware of the matter and will get the same checked.
Meanwhile, the contractors also said that around 40 works are in progress, while works on the bigger projects have not been taken up under the JJM while noting that the DPR of works at Delina has not been accorded and the works are held up due to what the officials have stated, lack of staff.
They also alleged that a motorman has been given the table and has been tasked to carry out the indent work while on contrary, they said, the same should be done by a professional. “We want to work and ensure development, but we do not get the necessary support on the ground,” they said.
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