New Legislature Complex at Jammu
Rs 72 cr already spent, Rs 134 cr more required
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 22: Though Public Works Department has prepared the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) mentioning additional requirement of Rs 134 crore yet no time-frame has been fixed for re-start of work on new Legislature Complex at Jammu, which remains suspended during the past several years.
Follow The Daily Excelsior Channel On WhatsApp
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that after taking over the project from Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) in the month of March this year, the Public Works Department engaged a consultant for preparation of Detailed Project Report for the balance works which include electrical, mechanical, integrated security, parking, furniture, fixtures and equipments etc.
The consultant submitted the revised DPR to Public Works Department strictly as per the instructions received from the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and requirement of additional Rs 134 crore has been projected for completion of new Legislature Complex in all respects.
While handing over the project to the Public Works Department, the JKPCC had conveyed that it has executed Rs 72 crore worth work. With additional requirement of Rs 134 crore, the total cost of the project will go beyond Rs 200 crore.
“At present the revised DPR is at the stage of examination in the office of Engineer-in-Chief and thereafter it will be sent to the Finance Department by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for concurrence and finally the DPR will be placed before the Administrative Council or Cabinet of the newly formed Government for approval”, sources said.
Disclosing that no time-frame has been fixed at present for the start of work on the project, sources said that after the approval of Administrative Council or Cabinet the R&B Department will have to float the tenders inviting bids for execution of the balance works and this exercise generally takes three-four months and thereafter the selected company will have to mobilize men and machinery for restart of work.
“In such a situation the work is unlikely to restart before next year. Moreover, additional funds as projected in the revised DPR will also have to be arranged”, they added.
The project was initially started on the conceptual design but later complete DPR and design were prepared by involving a Delhi based consultancy. However, Administrative Approval was not obtained by JKPCC for the reasons best known to those who remained at the helm of affairs in the Corporation.
This blatant violation of rules was noticed by the administration when progress on the project was assessed after bifurcation of erstwhile State into two Union Territories. Accordingly, directions were issued to the JKPCC to get the necessary exercise for obtaining Administrative Approval conducted and even plan modifications in the structure especially in the light of the fact that Upper House doesn’t exist anymore and space created for the same will be of no use unless some changes are carried out.
“The Administrative Approval of the executed work has already been obtained and now the same in respect of revised DPR will have to be taken by the Public Works Department”, sources said, adding “decision has also been taken about utilization of space earlier earmarked for Upper House”.
When contacted, an officer of the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said, “the fate of the project is hanging in balance due to slackness of JKPCC. Hopefully work will resume in near future”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the foundation stone of the project was laid by the then Chief Minister of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir in the month of April 2011. The five storey building will have parking at lower and upper basements with capacity of parking for at least 150 cars/light vehicles and 100 scooters/ motor-cycles. It will have direct bridge to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
