*Sets Aug deadline for start of major works
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 26: Minister for Revenue, Relief, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Disaster Management, Abdul Rehman Veeri, today set a deadline of ending August for the start of major infrastructure buildup works under Rs 1500 crore Jhelum & Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP).
The Minister was speaking at the review meeting of the ambitious project, envisaged to recover and reconstruction of critical infrastructure, capacity building and livelihood in the State under which major roads, bridges, schools etc. would be reconstructed and capacity of emergency response units like hospitals, emergency services etc enhanced.
The meeting was attended by CEO JTFRP Sandeep Nayak, Commissioner Secretary PWD Sanjeev Verma, Development Commissioner PWD Bimal Tikoo, Director PUC, Iftikar Ahmed Hakeem, Director Tech PMU Bashir Ahmed Shah, MD JKPCC Daleep Thusoo, Abdul Hameed Sheikh CE R&B Kashmir and Aamir Ali Director Disaster Management Authority.
The Minister directed the MD JKPCC to submit Detailed Project Report (DPR) along with Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to the concerned department by 10th of August so that it can be vetted at earliest by the concerned agency and submitted to World Bank.
“Whatever the formalities and procedures, they have to be completed in set time. JKPCC should start work on Ist September,” the Minister told officers.
Veeri said that project would focus on restoring critical infrastructure using international best practice and aims at both restoring essential services disrupted by the floods and improving the design standard and practices to increase resilience and capacity building.
After discussing different modalities procedures and process involving the project, the Minister fixed the deadline of August end for the start of the projects to be executed by JKPCC and involves bridges, roads, schools and hospital projects in the State.
He stressed on fast tracking the implementation of the project in order to achieve the project objectives within the set timelines.
The officials informed the Minister that implementation of the project is on track and DPR preparation and tendering process across all the components is being worked out well.
Besides sticking to timeline, the Minister asked the officials to assign priority to works according to their flood damage assessment so that they would be taken up according to the importance.